14) Breaking the Tales
by IlaGolden
Summary: This is the fourteenth book in the Tales Saga and the sixth book in Tales Saga TNG. Training for the looming war with Ni is in full swing, unfortunately he's not the only danger threatening the group. As nightmare and reality collide the situation becomes more than just complicated, it becomes twisted.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

She was too fast for them. Even in this field where magic barriers blocked everyone's sensors, she was still able to out manoeuvre them and second guess every single one of their moves. Lured out into the open, Kisara summon a long sword and tried to hit her with a surprise attack. But she was already ready for it with a dagger of her own which sliced cleanly through Kisara's sword like a knife through butter. And that was when Kisara made her fatal mistake. Reeling in the shock of the counter attack she let her guard down. Within seconds she was ensnared in a trap of vines, which bound her arms and legs in an unyielding position.

To the sounds of a loud and angry battle cry, Lus and False leapt out of hiding with a double barrage. But this didn't faze her and she handled the two toned assault with all the ease of a tiger trainer taming a kitten. Within a mere matter of moments she'd managed to turn Lus and False's attacks against each other, causing them to ensnare each other within their own varying webs. With three down already the rest of the team were in trouble. Sighing in disgust Arados lowered his Balance issue binoculars and allowed a sour expression to creep across his face.

'They still might turn this around you know,' Jo lowered her own binoculars and shifted her gaze towards him. 'It's not over yet.'

'Please,' he rolled his eyes, 'it was over the second Kisara was captured and you know it. If I were down there I would never let that happen.'

'Well you're not down there, you're up here, taking care of a much more important job.'

'I should be down there.'

'You're six months pregnant.'

'So?'

'So you can't even sneeze right now without someone worrying about it. Training is out of the question.'

'But so long as I'm up here they won't listen to me. They think I can't possibly know what I'm talking about because I'm not actually there.'

'And do you know what you're talking about?'

'Yes, I've spotted every single one of her weaknesses and I'm getting a good idea of how she thinks now. If they would let me do anything other than just incubate little Princess then I could have them winning these things in no time.'

'Right now they're not going to listen to any of us,' Helen sighed, as she too lowered her binoculars in order to join in their conversation. 'I mean, just last night I was telling Lus about how she always drops guard right before using an encapture technique and he completely shrugged me off. Said there wouldn't be enough time to turn things around before getting caught.'

'And Crovell's no better,' Jo shook her head, 'it's like she's got all of them so worked up they can't even think straight anymore.'

'Well maybe she has,' Arados pressed his lips together, 'we all know its well within her capabilities to do it. Maybe she's trying to test them in more ways than we know.'

'It wouldn't surprise me,' Helen tilted her head, 'she likes to push them above and beyond their limits.'

'And that's exactly why she has the three of us out here watching them,' Jo wearily massaged her forehead, 'so that we can see what their limits are and help them.'

'The only problem there Jo, is that they won't let us,' Arados rolled his eyes.

'Not yet anyway, I think once we're able to get out there with them…'

'When are we ever going to be allowed to get out there with them,' Arados allowed frustration to take over his voice, 'as soon as we drop these kids will be expected to put all our time and effort into taking care of them. We'll be side-lined again and expected to take it.'

His grip on his binoculars became so tight the plastic casing shattered in his hands. Gasping in pain, he pulled his hand back in order to examine the bloody damage.

'I shouldn't be mollycoddled like this,' he gritted his teeth, 'I'm physically stronger than all of them combined. I can take care of myself. Or could, if they'd ever let me.'

'But they're not ever going to let you.'

'I know,' he shook his head in disgust, 'all I seem to be good for as far as they're concerned is incubating little Princess.'

'And coming up with the worst name imaginable for her.'

'What's wrong with Princess,' he blinked.

'How about you tell me what's right with it?'

'Look, just because you still can't think of a name for your bump doesn't mean you can criticize mine.'

'No,' Helen smirked, 'but she can point out that its stupid.'

'Why am I not surprised you agree with her?'

'Because you know we both have good taste in names and you don't.'

'What's wrong with the name Princess?'

'It's like calling a child Miracle,' Jo smirked.

'Watch it Jo,' Arados shot her a warning look, 'I have absolutely no problems with hitting a pregnant sister.'

'You really need to learn to control that temper of yours Ara,' she shrugged, 'it's sucking all the humour right out of you.'

'Well maybe that's because you're just not funny, ever think of that?'

'You know Ara that thoughts never actually occurred to me.'

'I wonder why you arrogant p…'

'Ara,' Helen cut him off, 'not in front of the bumps; they can hear us you know.'

'Right, right,' Arados rolled his eyes, 'and we wouldn't want to be teaching them bad manners before they're even born now, would we?'

'No,' Jo smirked, 'you should be saving that for when they're a few minutes old.'

'Are you saying that I'm going to teach my kid worse manners than you will?'

'I'm just saying you don't exactly have the best track record in that department Ara. I mean, you were an adolescent thug.'

'Only because you and the rest of the world were too ignorant to recognise my intelligence.'

'What intelligence?'

'Don't start Jo,' he warned, 'you really don't want to start with me right now.'

'God I hope lil Princess inherits her personality from False,' Jo shook her head, 'because I really don't want a female version of you running around.'

'There would be nothing wrong with that if she was,' Arados defended, 'in fact I think that's the best thing that could possibly happen to her.'

'You would.'

'Just shut up Jo.'

'Or what?'

'Or nothing, I just want you to shut up Jo.'

'You're really just too mumsy to be threatening right now Ara,' she laughed, 'maybe I really should make you that smock.'

'Oh shut up Jo. Just shut up.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Catilin was sat on the floor in Kasey's room, wishing beyond anything her baby would be found soon. It had been nearly five months since anyone had seen her and the others were quickly giving up hope. The fact they couldn't sense her indicated to Catilin she must still be in the network of caves the Teen had been using. Or if not in them, then in a similar group of them. She knew there were hotspots of sensory black holes all over Giya, so the fact they couldn't sense Kasey didn't mean she was dead.

Sighing heavily to herself, she began arranging the collection of dice spread out across Kasey's floor into a series of pyramids. Catilin had never been completely sure why their house was filled with so many dice, but it was. And had been for as long as Duke had been living with her. As such the kids had both been given sets of novelty sized dice when they were little to use in place of building blocks. It had felt a fun and quirky thing to do at the time, but now it was like a painful reminder Duke was no longer with them.

Swallowing hard, she tried to hold back the tears still welled up within her whenever she thought about what had happened. It had been five months and she was still as weak as a kitten about it. That was why no one allowed her to help search for Kasey and, on the same note, why they didn't allow her to train with the Power Limitless either. It felt cruel for her to be completely cut off from the others like this and the only thing to bring her any real comfort anymore where the visits from Nurse Guillyham or Nancy as she now preferred Catilin to call her. But as comforting as they were they were infrequent and, on days like this when she could really do with the company, felt as though she got none at all.

'You know I remember when we were first dating and you used to stack the dice in my room just like that if I left you waiting for any length of time,' Duke's voice sounded from behind her, making her blood curdle and her skin crawl as it did.

She knew it was SK. He'd been constantly doing things like that ever since he'd evolved. It was as if he was expecting her to suddenly acknowledge him as her husband and carry on like everything was normal. As if he expected her to be like Crovell.

'I'm sorry,' his voice reverting to his own, 'I don't know why I did that; I know it makes you uncomfortable.'

'Have you found her yet?'

'No,' his voice was mute, 'I don't think she wants to be found.'

'So you're giving up,' she turned hotly on him, angry that he could suggest such a thing.

'No,' he shook his head, 'I would never give up on her. Believed or not I'm just as worried about her as you are.'

'Why, its not like you're her daddy.'

For a few moments SK flinched and hesitated, then he met her gaze with a strange kind of solidness.

'But part of me is,' his voice was firm, 'and as long as that part of me exists I'm going to feel…'

'What,' she cut him off, 'obligated?'

'No!'

'Then what, because she doesn't need you to be her daddy and if you say she does then I'll…'

'You'll what?'

'I don't know yet,' she turned her head away, 'but I know it won't be pretty.'

For a few moments SK was silent, then he gave a heavy sigh and moved towards her.

'I didn't ask for this you know. But it happened and I have to learn to live with it. We all do. But right now you're making it very difficult for me to.'

'Why?'

'Because every time you reject my presence the part of me that is Duke hurts like hell. And there's nothing I can do about it.'

'But how can I accept you and remain loyal to my Duke; the Duke you betray every time you come to see me.'

'Duke just wants you to be happy.'

'And you think I can be happy with you,' she stared at him. 'You think I can be happy with someone who… who until five months ago was just one dead guy and now is three. You think I can have those kinds of feelings for a Nethher Herin?'

'But I'm not a Nethher Herin, I'm a Hybrid. And even if I were one, you had those feelings for Jay.'

'Jay was different.'

'How?'

'I knew Jay.'

'And you don't know me?'

'Not in that way,' she shook her head, 'not in the way that matters.'

'But you do know me in the way that matters, because you know them in the way that matters,' he sounded almost exasperated. 'I love you Catilin, why can't you just accept that I love you.'

'Because you don't love me.'

'Yes I do.'

'No, you don't,' she met his gaze as solidly as she could. 'They love me and because they out number you you're overwhelmed by their feelings for me. But you, SK, you do not love me.'

'Catilin,' his expression appeared strangely crushed, 'just because the emotion didn't originate from me doesn't mean I don't feel it. Okay, so maybe I never planned to fall in love with you, but I am now, you can't keep telling me that's not real.'

'But it's not real,' she protested, 'they're just confusing you.'

'But it's not like that Catilin,' he insisted. 'It's real to me. And if it's real to me then its real.'

'Why is it so important to you? Why do you want me to love you?'

'Because you're everything to me.'

'No,' she shook her head, 'I'm everything to them.'

'And they are me.'

'No, they're just parts of you.'

'Which makes them me,' he was starting to sound almost angry now. 'Catilin I love you.'

'No, they love me.'

'NO, I LOVE YOU.'

'Why is this so important?'

'I told you why; you're everything to me and I need you.'

'For what?'

'What,' he blinked at her strangely.

'What is it you so desperately need me for?'

'To… to love me,' he stammered, 'to be my wife.'

'But why?'

'Because I love you and I don't want to have to live without you.'

'But you don't live SK,' she pouted and turned away, 'because you're dead.'


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Smiling strangely, Tristan leant against the door frame and watched Kaiba, as he silently studied his way through a pile of books. Something about it reminded Tristan of how the pair had been when they were younger. But there was also something about it that Tristan couldn't quite put his finger on. A sense of anxiety or worry which didn't make any sense and he half suspected Kaiba was keeping something from him.

'The kids miss you.'

'I'm almost done,' Kaiba's fingers moved along the page in front of him.

'That's what you said last week and yet you're still in here.'

'This is important.'

'And the kids aren't?'

'Of course they are,' he stopped for a moment, his face filled with a serious expression, 'that's why I'm doing this. For them.'

'Doing what exactly?'

'I can't tell you,' he lowered his gaze, 'you just need to know that it's important.'

'I could help.'

'No,' Kaiba shook his head, 'no you can't.'

'But why not,' leaving the doorway he made his way across the room towards his husband. 'Stop shutting me out, I'm worried about you.'

'It's not me you should be worried about.'

'Then who?'

For a few moments Kaiba hesitated, then he gave a heavy sigh and half turned away.

'Everybody, you should be worried about everybody.'

'Because of the Sen Pay?'

Kaiba didn't reply, but instead shifted awkwardly in his chair.

'Because of the beast,' Tristan felt a wave of realisation hit him, 'you think we have something to worry about?'

'Of course we have something to worry about; the beast doesn't just give Ni its army without wanting something for itself.'

'And you have to find out what it is?'

'Something like that.'

There was something so pained about Kaiba's expression Tristan couldn't help but get the feeling more was going on. For a few minutes the pair remained silent, then Tristan brought himself level with the desk and pulled the book Kaiba was studying into his own hands.

'Hey… Tristan…' Kaiba made an attempt to grab for the book, 'what did you do that for?'

'I want to know what it is you're looking at,' Tristan moved himself and the book out of reach.

'Don't,' Kaiba got to his feet, 'you can't.'

'Why not,' he shrugged, as his fingers drifted along the page.

'Because I don't want you to read this.'

'Read what exactly,' Tristan's fingers continued to trace along the brail bumps.

It didn't take him long to read across the whole page and when he did he found himself feeling more than a little clueless about it. Although he knew a lot about the beast from hearsay, he'd… or rather the Win in him hadn't been around when the beast was created or caged. On top of that he knew very little of the beast's capabilities, only what it had managed to do when allowed to roam free. So it was enough to say what he'd read was a little… concerning to say the least.

'The Symbiotic,' he glanced towards Kaiba, 'what does that mean exactly?'

'Its something you're either aware of or you're not,' Kaiba sighed, as he got up to take the book back off of him. 'And even if you're aware of it by reputation then you've probably not got the whole story. No one really does since it's never been successfully achieved before.'

'I don't…'

'The basic idea behind the Symbiotic is to create a state halfway between the host and the beast in which the host can use, not only their own powers, but those belonging to the beast as well.'

'For what purpose?'

'Marnci is more powerful than most living beings and power corrupts.'

'So you're saying the hosts create the Symbiotic because they've been corrupted by the thought of its power.'

'Or others around them have been,' he pulled a face. 'The only problem with creating the Symbiotic is that the host is put into a continual power conflict with the beast for control, eventually the host always loses.'

'Because in the end the beast will always get what it wants,' Tristan quoted a phrase he'd heard many times.

'Exactly,' Kaiba placed the book on the desk and sat himself wearily back down. 'The original Symbiotic, by which I mean the first to attempt such a thing, was said to be a powerful man. He inherited the beast when he'd killed the former host.'

'So this was back before the beast was trapped in a bloodline.'

'Yes,' Kaiba nodded, 'the man was fascinating with the beast, even before it became him and in turn they say the beast was fascinated with him. The Symbiotic appeared to come about as a result of their mutual fascination and led to the man's eventual downfall.'

'What happened?'

'He wanted to control when and how the Symbiotic came out,' he sighed again. 'So, with the help of others who wished to study the beast, they created two precious relics. The Arararu to increase the level of the beast's power the host could use and the Araruha to take it away again.'

'Did they work?'

'Better than expected,' he shifted his gaze away. 'The only problem was that the beast was given nothing to thank it for its help in creating them. And if there's one thing the beast hates more than anything it's being neglected or badly treated by the host.'

'So it took him over completely?'

'And refused to let go,' Kaiba sighed again. 'In the end the only way to bring the man back was to kill him.'

'What happened to the relics after that?'

'The gods took them and began studying them themselves.'

'Why?'

'They wanted to find a way to control the beast or at the very least cage it. They foolishly tried to keep the existence of the relics below our notice, but we found out. And we took everything they knew about them and we used our power to cage the beast.'

'So the Mistresses have the relics?'

'Yes.'

'Where are they?'

'I can't tell you.'

'Why not?'

'Because I can't risk anyone going after them.'

'I see,' Tristan thought about it for a few moments, then something struck him as being oddly curious. 'If you knew about the relics and the Symbiotic already then why have you been reading up about them?'

'Because I wanted to be sure.'

'Sure of what?'

'Sure that no Symbiotic had ever managed to succeed in controlling the beast.'

'But why?'

'Because I get the feeling we're dealing with a Symbiotic here.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

'Are you ever going to do anything more than lark about,' his voice sounded from behind her, causing her to turn, rather boredly, on her reclining chair to face him.

'I wasn't aware larking about was an option,' her voice was sour, 'and even if it was I'm sure you'd be much better at it than I am.'

'Don't get cocky with me Pitch, it doesn't suit you.'

'Why? Because I'm not her or because I'm not a MacTay.'

'I was thinking more along the lines of lazy, ignorant cow, but both of yours will do.'

'Bet you think you're real funny.'

'Actually I know I am, you just can't appreciate good humour.'

'I'm sure,' she turned herself away from him and closed her eyes.

'You will eventually have to do something other than annoy reality by existing you know,' his voice was firm. 'She wouldn't be keeping you around else.'

'I don't know about that,' Pitch couldn't help but smirk, 'maybe she enjoys my company. Or maybe she's so disgusted by yours that I seem like a better option to her right now.'

'Or maybe she's hoping you'll stop larking about and actually do something.'

'Again with the larking about,' she gave an impatient sigh. 'What's that supposed to mean exactly anyway?'

'Oh you know what it means,' he challenged, 'you're just trying to annoy me now.'

'Who said I had to try to do that?'

'Oh yeah, because you're just that annoying.'

For a few moments she was silent, then she gritted her teeth and turned back towards him. There was something about the way he'd spoken which had touched all the raw nerves in her body.

'Who do you think you are, my brother?'

'What's that supposed to mean exactly,' he shrugged. 'I was just confirming your own statement. If you can't handle that then…'

'For once in your life MacTay cease and desist from being an ignorant jerk.'

'Just because you can't handle it.'

'I can handle it just fine,' her gaze became set on him. 'I just don't need to handle it from you.'

'Mann Standing, who knew you could be such an oversensitive b…'

'Finish that Kashmana and you'll be sorry.'

'You've never scared me Pitch, so don't even try at it now.'

'You're not clever,' she got to her feet, 'and you're not funny. And I want you to leave right now.'

'Why?'

'Because I can't stand the sight of you.'

'But this is her place, not yours. So you can't order me out.'

'The hell I can't.'

'Hells where you belong, so why don't you?'

At that both of her eyes twitched simultaneously. She then turned sharply round and headed further into the house. She didn't know why, but everything he did was getting under her skin. There was only one person in existence who'd ever gotten under her skin like that and she'd chosen to disassociate herself from him completely. Huffing to herself, she folded her arms and sat herself down on the edge of the bed she'd been supplied with. What Kashmana had said really wasn't fair, she'd been invited to stay there as much as he had, so this place was as much hers as it was his.

'Want to talk about it,' his face peered slyly round the doorway to her room, 'or do you just want to sulk?'

'Go away Kashmana,' she glared, 'you're not welcome here.'

'Then you're sure as hell not getting rid of me now,' he pulled himself fully into her room. 'I always want to be where you don't welcome me.'

'Fine, be that way,' getting up she stormed her way out of the room.

'Think it's that easy, do you,' he followed after her. 'Or are you just hoping I'll get bored some time soon.'

'Why are you being such an ignorant little…?'

'Oh I'm anything but little Pitch,' he cut her off. 'And you more than anyone should know that.'

'Urgh, as if I would…'

'I wouldn't even dare suggest it,' he cut her off.

'That's not like you Kashmana,' she narrowed her gaze, 'everything for you is a suggestion of _that_.'

'Well maybe I'm not Kashmana.'

'Don't be an idiot, I can sense who you are, remember?'

'Puppets under a masters control always sense like puppets.'

'Puppet? Kashmana you're a Demi-God, something's gone seriously wrong with the multiverse if there's a Puppet Master strong enough to control you.'

'Actually there are a few I can think of right now.'

'Really?'

'Yes really. She is one of them and…'

'No,' she whipped round to face him, 'don't you even try to suggest that…'

'I'm only saying it like it is and we both know that it's more than a possibility.'

'You're just trying to…'

'Trying to what?'

'Trying to rattle me,' she somehow managed to finish. 'Stop being such a jerk Kashmana.'

'I already told you that…'

'I don't believe you'd allow that to happen Kashmana,' she remained firm. 'So I don't accept you're anyone's puppet.'

'Ah, but that's where you're wrong.'

'Then why are you doing this?'

'I have my own interests in _them_, remember?'

'You can't still be on about that, I told you'd I'd never let it happen,' Pitch found herself half annoyed she had to acknowledge him. 'So just you keep out of this, okay?'

'But I can't.'

'Why not?'

'Because I'm already involved.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Having thoroughly beaten them all once again, she'd sent them back to rest at their various homes. It would only have annoyed her if they'd stayed any longer than that, because none of them appeared to be getting any better. Either they weren't training properly or they didn't take her training seriously, both thoughts left her feeling more than a little annoyed. Something she really didn't think she'd be feeling at this stage. She always took her own training seriously, no matter how she went about it. And, as the heavy beat of music sounded out around her, she knew she was about to have a serious session of her own.

As the words to the sourceless song started, she began lifting up her right arm, fingers cupped towards the ground as she did. Not too far away from her the ground began to lift up and the half formed shape of a person began to appear. As her hand reached the highest point above her head she lifted her left arm in the same manner and another half formed person began pulling out of the ground. As her left hand became parallel with her right, she pulled them both together so the right crossed in front of the left and both fists were closed. As she did so the earth that clad tightly round the half formed figures quickly broke away revealing two bronze skinned women dressed in almost tribal get ups.

Quickly she snapped her arms apart and opened her hands. For the final few beats leading up to the chorus the three of them, puppetted by her, moved into a kind of preplanned dance. Then, as the chorus hit, she broke the control she had over the earth people and commenced battling against her creations. Unlike Weapon Manifestation, Alcamic Manifestation was not limited to demon blood, although having demon blood did help in the kinds of things you could create. The earthen Unrealms she'd manifested as battle opponents for example, could only be created by demon blood. And the stronger the demon blood, the better the challenge they made to train against.

With her movements keeping an almost perfect timing to the song playing around her, she first managed to destroy one of her Unrealms, then the other. Leaving her only with a sense of immense satisfaction as the music around her played out. Clapping her hands together the song started again from the beginning, this time for the purposes of celebration. Swinging her hips smoothly in snakelike circles, she started dancing flawlessly.

'This was never the way I planned, not my intention,' she began singing along. 'I got so brave, drink in hand, lost my discretion. It's not what I'm used to; just wanna try you on. I'm curious for you, caught my attention.'

Just as she hit the chorus, she sensed the other there and with them the imminent attack dawning. Drawing the Spinal Dagger from her back, she turned to meet blade to blade with the surprise opponent.

'I kissed a girl, and I liked it, the taste of her cheery chapstick,' she kept singing, as she matched her opponent move for move. 'I kissed a girl just to try it, hope my boyfriend don't mind it,' with all the skill and agility of a cat, she back flipped away from her opponent's lightning strike. 'It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don't mean I'm in love tonight,' getting to her feet, she used the Spinal dagger to return an equally impressive lightning attack. 'I kissed a girl and I liked it. I liked it.'

As the song rolled into the second verse both she and her assailant tuned their movements perfectly to the song around them. To the point where it became hard to tell the difference between their battle and dance movements.

'No I don't even know you name, it doesn't matter,' she continued singing, as she pirouetted her way around the ground her opponent was making erupt with lava. 'You're my experimental game, just human nature,' she cartwheelled over the epicentre of a ground split, before back flipping continuously over the now crumbling ground. 'It's not what, good girls do,' she found her feet again on an almost stable piece of land. 'Not how they should behave,' she began charging a large amount of energy between her hands. 'My head gets so confused, hard to obey,' she forced her attack downwards tearing up the ground between her, and her opponent.

With the exact same agility she'd shown, her opponent flipped and twisted her way around the splintering rubble. She then also found herself upon a relatively safe piece of ground directly opposite.

'I kissed a girl, and I liked it,' she smirked, as she caused the ground below herself and her opponent to rise up into narrow platforms. 'The taste of her cheery chapstick. I kissed a girl just to try it,' she continued, as she created a line of narrow floating ice platforms to form a path between them. 'Hope my boyfriend don't mind it. It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don't mean I'm in love tonight,' she and her opponent began crossing the ice path towards each other. 'I kissed a girl, and I liked it. I liked it.'

As they met in the middle her opponent drew a weapon of her own, bringing it down hard against her. Swiftly she met its blade with that of her Spinal Dagger, before forcing her opponent back.

'Us girls we are so magical. Soft skin, red lips, so kissable. Hard to resist, so touchable. Too good to deny it. Ain't no big deal, its innocent.'

As the song entered into the final chorus she, her opponent began what could only be described as swords' play. It was difficult from the position they were in to pull the same light footed, fancy tricks they'd been pulling on the ground level, after all one slip would mean them falling heavily to the ground below. Somehow as the song was drawing to a close she managed to knock her opponent off. Instantly she flicked her right hand downwards to expose her wrist. A snakelike vine then shot out of it, rushing down to the aid of her opponent. Catching hold of her it then brought her back up to platform level, the music pulling to its final close as she did.

'No one's ever going to believe we're at the same skill level if you keep fighting like that,' she pulled a face.

'I could say the same about you and Right,' her opponent panted a little. 'No matter what either of us do we're never going to reach her level.'

'As long as she's out of commission we don't need to,' she shifted her gaze away. 'But you _do_ need to work on your own skills a little. You have to be able to match me and you know it.'

'It's hard. You've been Limitless longer than I have. I'm just grateful the girls didn't twig I wasn't.'

'I'm pretty sure they have some idea there's something going on anyway,' she sighed, 'but they're too good of friends to say anything.'

'Something I'm really grateful for. And Jack…'

'Don't,' she cut her off, 'I don't want to talk about him.'

'He's not the enemy you know.'

'Try telling that to Right.'

'But… he's not. And he wanted me to give you a message. He said that he's going to send someone to help.'

'Help who exactly,' she folded her arms.

'Us of course,' she blinked, 'he is on our side you know.'

'Sometimes I wonder.'

'You believe her, don't you,' her voice was low and edgy, 'you think she's right when she says he's only been using us all this time. But I don't believe that. I can't believe that.'

'Then why did he force me to abandon the plan Right had come up with, in favour of using the beast?' She almost couldn't help the anger in her voice. 'Her plan was still viable.'

'Viable for her, Jack said…'

'I don't give a damn what he has to say about it,' she curled her nose up in disgust, 'I didn't want to use that plan. He made me and I haven't felt right since.'

'That's not his fault…'

'Isn't it?' She folded her arms. 'Because it sure as hell feels like it is.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Ever since her parents had died CiCi's behaviour had become more and more erratic. Even though the good will towards her brother continued unhinged, she'd taken to spending endless hours on her own in the distant corners of the gardens surrounding the Kaiba mansion. Nobody knew what she was doing out there or why. It was like she needed something of her own. Needed something to explain everything which had happened. Or else she just needed to be alone.

Sighing to himself and exhausted from the long day of training, Taylor stared out across the garden, hoping to catch sight of his cousin returning for something to eat. As far as he was concerned the only person acting stranger than she was, was his Dad. And even his Dad's behaviour was more logical than this. Leaning against the door frame for a few moments, he found himself concentrating on the movement of the leaves in one of the nearby trees. Without meaning to he allowed his imagination to change the shape of them, in order to form a giant bird of pray. It wasn't until he heard the screech of the bird in the air above him he realised he'd done something he shouldn't have.

'Was that intentional,' his Parto's voice sounded from behind him.

'I guess I still haven't learned to control that side of my power yet,' he gave an edgy laugh. 'It's probably my own fault for trying to encourage it to grow too quickly.'

'You did what you had to do,' his Parto shook his head. 'We needed something to help us out at that moment in time and a sudden advancement in your power was it.'

'But I still should have learnt to control it by now.'

'Why?'

'Because it's been more than five months since I discovered it and it would be a lot more useful to everyone if I could control it better.'

'What does she say about it?'

'I've never asked her.'

'Why not,' his Parto frowned. 'After what she's done for you, I'd thought you'd be glad of any advice she could give.'

'Yes, but I can't get over the feeling she took my voice away in the first place,' he shrugged frigidly. 'And its not like she just gave my voice back to me like that, she played a lot of games with us. Me and Drake especially.'

'You don't trust her?'

'It's not her I don't trust,' he turned. 'It's her methods I don't trust. She's just so…'

'Erratic?'

'And powerful,' Taylor nodded slowly, 'it's like having to deal with two Crovell's. Only this second Crovell is… something else all together.'

'But at least she's on our side, right?'

'Right,' he smiled weakly up at his Parto. 'Only…'

'What is it?'

'We can't beat her.'

'What?'

'No matter how many times we try, none of us can beat her,' Taylor repeated carefully. 'No matter what strategy we use or how closely we work together we can't even get close. Not even Crovell and he's more powerful than she is; she's just so much more… skilled.'

'She's had the training and the discipline the rest of you haven't. I'm sure you'll eventually work something out.'

'I'm not so sure anymore,' he sighed. 'And if we can't beat her how the hell are we supposed to take on the Sen Pay.'

'Maybe its time us adults had a little training of our own then,' his Parto smirked strangely. 'I mean, so far you've kids have had all the fun because the rest of us have been preoccupied with other things. But maybe its time for a little…'

'Parental control,' Taylor tilted his head, trying not to sound amused by the thought.

'Exactly. What do you say?'

'I say it's going to be the funniest thing I've ever seen,' he grinned. 'If we don't have the discipline or the skill, what makes you think you old fogies do?'

'Oi,' his Parto mock glared, 'a little less of the old if you don't mind.'

'You're still not going to be anywhere near as good as us young ones,' Taylor sighed.

'So,' his Parto shrugged, 'maybe it'll show you young ones exactly what it is you're doing wrong.'

'Yeah right,' he rolled his eyes, 'your performance is going to be way too tragic to teach us anything.'

'You want to bet on that?'

'Yeah I do actually,' Taylor held firm.

'Then be prepared to lose,' his Parto turned and began walking away.

'Where are you going?'

'To tell the other parents that we have a challenge on our hands,' he smirked back at him for a moment. 'You kids should be prepared to learn a thing or two.'

'In your dreams old man.'

'We'll see,' he left the room. 'We'll see.'

Shaking his head in amusement, Taylor turned his gaze back out to the garden. Just as he did, CiCi came into view swiftly making her way back towards the house. Another shriek from the leaf bird above them caused her to stop and stare up at it.

'A little gift for you cuz,' he called to her, 'what do you think?'

She didn't reply, instead she just smiled up at it in wonder and tilted her head strangely.

'There's some dinner left over for you if you're hungry; you normally seem to be.'

Lowering her gaze towards him, she nodded, before silently making her way into the house. As she brushed past him Taylor felt a strange wave of heat blast through his body. Shuddering uncontrollably, he couldn't help but stare after her as she made her way towards the kitchen.

'What was that,' his words were barely more than a whisper but she heard him anyway.

'What was what,' CiCi glanced back.

'That heat,' he followed her into the kitchen and met her gaze perfectly.

'What heat?'

'The heat coming from you.'

'There's no heat coming from me,' she laughed strangely.

'Yes there is,' he took a step towards her, 'its like nothing I've ever felt before. Certainly nothing I've ever felt from you before. What is it?'

'Nothing,' she shook her head, 'you're just imagining things.'

'I don't think so.'

'I assure you, you are cousin,' her voice was tight, 'there is no heat emanating from me. Maybe you felt your own.'

'Felt my own?'

'You never know,' she shrugged, 'it could have been.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

'This is nice, isn't it,' Lus wrapt his arms around her waist, 'just the two of us alone in this flat for once.'

'Mm…'

'What is it,' he shot her a concerned look, 'you're not going off me already, are you?'

'That's not it.'

'Then what?'

'Your training today…'

'What about it?'

'Well the whole point of me, Jo and Ara watching is to give you all advice on what you're doing wrong. But none of you listen to anything we say.'

'That's because there's a huge difference between watching it and actually being out there in it.'

'Yeah, we have a better view for a start,' she pouted.

'That's not what I mean.'

'Then what do you mean?'

'You don't have any time to think whilst you're out there. Its like she fries all your brain cells and then expects you to repair them all without giving you a second to stop and think.'

'Which is where the three of us are supposed to help,' she sighed, 'by letting you know before hand what we think will work.'

'But you're still not out there,' he shook his head, 'you've never actually fought against her. It's not that simple.'

'I know that, but that doesn't mean what me and the others see from our perch isn't relevant.'

'You're not going to let this drop, are you?'

'Not until you hear me out, no,' she shook her head. 'You have to understand exactly what we're seeing, that way you'll be able to use it to your advantage.'

'And if I don't see any advantage in it?'

'Then at least you would have heard me out for once.'

'Okay,' he relented, 'I'll hear you out. Now tell me, exactly what is it you're seeing?'

* * *

><p>False had taken to standing on the edge of the ridge which loomed above the Arigotten Plains. This was one of the few areas of Giya which had come alive again in recent years and the view was spectacular to say the least. The weather was perfect for flying and as a light breeze pulled against his clothing he couldn't help but think how it was a shame few people used this place for that.<p>

A shuffling of feet behind him alerted him to her arrival. Glancing back round towards her, he suppressed his need to smile. For the last five months the pair of them had been playing games with each other. Neither one willing to submit to a relationship with the other no matter how much each of them wanted it. They didn't want to rush anything, not when everything around them was so hectic. And if they were really meant to rush into anything then their Power Limitless friend would have made it impossible not to, just like she had with Helen and Lus.

'This place is beautiful,' Kisara made her way towards the edge. 'You'd think it would be full of winged creatures, wouldn't you?'

'I guess not many of them have discovered it yet.'

'Have any of them,' her gaze went past him to the enchanting plain that lay beyond. 'I mean, I've never seen anyone here but you and you're not one of the winged creatures.'

'How do you know that,' he almost found himself teasing, 'for all you know I could be concealing a pair of Parasitic beneath my skin.'

'I'm pretty sure I would have seen those by now,' she smirked, 'I mean, I have known you for long enough.'

'Maybe they're a recent addition. Something I've acquired since finding out I was a Hateling.'

'And why exactly would you choose to acquire yourself Parasitics?'

'To be able to fly, obviously.'

'But Parasitic Wings are only supported by certain power types.'

'And you're saying I'm not the right type,' he mocked offense.

'That's not what I'm saying.'

'Then what are you saying?'

'Why would anyone want Parasitic Wings unless they had them anyway,' she sighed, before sitting herself down on the edge of the ridge, 'they're a nightmare to control and they can change shape at the drop of a hat if you're not careful. Who'd want the risk of them changing shape mid-flight?'

'You'd have to be pretty careless to let something like that happen though,' False rolled his eyes, as he sat himself down next to her. 'I mean, you have a little more control over them than that, especially when it comes to their morphic ability.'

'And you would know,' she shot him a look.

'I've studied up on them a little.'

'Since when?'

'Since finding out I was a Hateling,' he tilted his head thoughtfully, 'I was considering getting myself a pair.'

'Why?'

'Well what better way to embrace my demon heritage without hurting anyone? Besides it would give me a distinct difference from my father if I did.'

'So why didn't you?'

'You were right; I'm the wrong power type for Parasitic.'

'Most demons are.'

'Does that include your type?'

'I barely class as demon,' she rolled her eyes, 'but yes, that includes my type.'

For a few moments he just sat there with an amused smirk on his face admiring her. He couldn't help it, he'd been in love with her most of his life and the charade was killing him.

'It's a real shame I'm not the right power type you know,' he turned his gaze away from her and stared out across the plain.

'Oh,' she sounded curious.

'Yeah,' he nodded, 'I mean, just look at today; the weather across the plains is just perfect, isn't it?'

'For flying you mean?'

'Yeah, perfect.'

'How would you know,' her voice was tinged with a strange kind of curiosity, 'you've never had the chance to.'

'I don't know,' he frowned strangely, before lifting his left arm up and examining the strange scar which had formed there, 'but maybe there's something left over from whatever that was.'

'The power boosting our Limitless friend did you mean?'

'Yeah.'

'But how would she know?'

'She can be anything and anyone, remember? All she'd need to do is turn herself into someone with wings and…'

'She'd be away,' Kisara closed her eyes in a dreamy kind of bliss. 'I see, that would make so much sense.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The cast of the silvery moon above them was brighter than it would have been anywhere else at this time of day. Although that was probably because this was one of the few parts of Giya currently experiencing night time. Still it made the ground all around shimmer with its own kind of aura as she made her way up the beaten path towards him. With each shimmer a shiver ran up her spine; whatever was about to happen wasn't going to be in her favour, she knew that. But then she'd known that since before coming to see him.

The dampened roar of the waterfall nearby echoed with the distant sound of music. If she was being honest with herself she wouldn't have been surprised if there really was music coming from it and she wouldn't put it past him. Not knowing everything he was capable of. As if to prove it he'd turned slowly round to face her long before she'd finished her assent. Clearly he'd been waiting for her, but then he always seemed to be waiting for her, since she wasn't his favourite. His favourite had reached all the goal posts he'd laid out for all three of them first and it had cost her her sanity. Another shudder ran up and down her spine just thinking about it.

For a brief moment she came to a stop and during that moment everything around her flashed in and out of distortion. The flash was so quick you could have missed it in a single blink. But she hadn't missed it; she just wished she knew what it meant.

'I thought you said you were going to leave this up to me,' she half glared at him, 'that there was no need for you to interfere.'

'And if you'd done everything the way I'd told you to do it I wouldn't feel the need to interfere. Besides, it's not as if I'll be doing anything myself.'

'No, you never do.'

'Is that sarcasm I hear in your voice,' he laughed, as the distant sound of music became louder.

The music was doleful, yet strangely rocky at the same time. There was something so soul soothing about it, it almost lulled her into a false sense of calm.

'Passing faces on the road, where the hell can we still go, leaves us open to temptation,' he began singing along, 'cuz nothing ever lasts forever, we're like flowers in this vase together.'

Around her the shimmering of the silvery world became more than dreamlike. Her head began to swim with a strange kind of heaviness, as her whole body became lighter than air. Then, like a master calling his puppet to him, he stretched a hand out towards her. Against her will she found her movements dancing along to the music, as every second the world around her blurred further and further out of reality. Desperately she fought back against his control. Not that she thought it would help. She knew this attack all too well. It had been the one he'd introduced himself with or at least the one he'd introduced himself to her with. And despite her new power status, despite everything she tried to do to catch up with Right, she was still completely powerless against it.

'Cuz nothing lasts forever,' he sang along to the repeat of the refrain, 'we're like flowers in the vase together.'

Mentally she tried to block out the sound of his voice; Right had told her on more than one occasion that's where the power of this attack lay or at least where it lay for what he was currently doing. Instead she concentrated all her efforts on trying to regain control of her body, which was easier said than done, as she was forced to manifest the Soul Blade. As he continued to sing, she found herself dancing closer and closer towards him, blade ready for something, although she couldn't be sure exactly what. It became clearer and clearer the closer she got that whatever was about to happen wasn't going to be pretty.

'Well what do you say,' his voice was calm, as she fell into place in front of him. 'You going to do it or what?'

Slowly she felt her arm raising up, preparing to strike him with the blade. Nothing she did was capable of stopping the inevitable at this point.

'Why do you want me to do this,' she somehow managed to breathe out.

'It's not me who wants this,' he shook his head, 'its you. You don't want my help, remember? So you have to get rid of me somehow.'

'But not like this,' she protested, 'I don't want to kill you.'

'With all her doubts about me she wouldn't hesitate at this point,' he taunted. 'I thought you were starting to believe those doubts yourself, so why not kill me?'

'I will not kill you,' she continued to fight back against his control.

'The alternative is to allow my indirect involvement. Trust me, I've told my little helper should anything happen to me he's to walk away from his little project. And that is what you want, isn't it?'

'Why can't you just leave me alone; I don't want your help. Not anymore. Not when I don't know if I can trust you… if I should trust you.'

'You don't know if you can trust me,' he smirked, as he tried to fain hurt. 'Whatever did I do to you to deserve such mistrust?'

'You know what you did.'

'I know what she's told you,' he challenged, sending her mind into a rage of uncertainty, 'but do you really believe I would have done all those awful things to you? To your sisters?'

'You gave all of us too much power too soon, without knowing whether or not we could handle it and because of that… because of that Right lost her mind. How can you justify that?'

'Do you hate what you are? What I turned you and your sisters into?'

'I don't know. I just know what you did was wrong.'

'Perhaps it was, but it does serve a greater purpose, you can see that can't you?'

'YES… no,' she somehow managed to turn her head away from him. 'I don't know.'

'Do you really hate me or is it just fear I see in you now?'

'I don't hate you,' she shook her head, 'I just don't know if I should trust you anymore.'

'Then why won't you step up with Centre and help quash these rumours. She's working all on her own to protect my image right now and that's not really fair, is it?'

'I…'

'Just like its not fair you won't allow my friend to help you.'

'I…'

'When did you become so selfish Left?'

'I… I'm not.'

'I didn't think I raised any of you to be selfish like this, but I guess I was wrong.'

'I said I'm not selfish.'

'Then you'll allow my passive involvement in this matter?'

'No I…'

'Left…?'

'Okay,' she turned her head away, 'your friend can help.'

'There's a good girl. Now you get back to them won't you?'

'Yes,' she felt completely and utterly defeated, 'I will.'


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Arados hated pregnancy hunger more than he hated normal hunger. And the problem with him being pregnant is that he felt hungry a lot. Fortunately for him though, their kitchen was packed with enough food to make it possible for him to eat whenever he wanted. All he had to do was find the energy to make it himself, since everyone else was too preoccupied with other things. It was about half past seven in the evening when he made his way into the kitchen to find Crovell already there with a look of annoyance on his face, as he searched frantically through the kitchen cupboards.

'Jo?' Arados pulled a face.

'She keeps changing her mind as to what she wants,' Crovell grumbled, 'this is like the sixth time I've been out here already.'

'Well at least she has you willing to do the running around for her.'

'Willing,' he laughed almost in disgust, 'as if I have a choice. She'd just complain non-stop until I got it for her if I didn't.'

'Its not exactly easy being pregnant you know,' Arados scowled. 'She's lucky to have you; else she'd be having to make the trips herself.'

'Yeah, well, whatever,' he rolled his eyes, as he pulled several ingredients from the cupboards and began preparing a sandwich.

'You know Jo won't eat half of that,' he eyed up the chosen ingredients.

'How would you know?'

'Because currently the smell of half of it makes her gag,' Arados began pottering round the kitchen, in order to find replacement ingredients. 'Here,' he pushed them towards his brother, 'just use these instead of anything you've got there. Trust me, she'll like it.'

Crovell eyed up what he'd been given in a kind of disbelief.

'Tuna and marmalade?'

'Trust me she'll eat it.'

'Well if she doesn't I'm blaming you.'

'Whatever,' Arados shrugged, as he began preparing himself something.

'You know if this is what you guys are craving, I don't think I like the idea of being pregnant myself,' Crovell made a strange face, as he put the finishing touches to the sandwich he was making, eyeing up what Arados was putting in his own as he did. 'It can't be healthy for you.'

'Nor can knocking up your own sister,' Arados retorted, 'but you had no problems in doing that.'

'I thought you were over it,' Crovell shot him a look, before placing Jo's sandwich on a plate and making his way out of the room, 'everyone else seems to be.'

'Well everyone else isn't pregnant,' he called after his brother, as he reached for one of the sharper bread knives, 'I'm allowed to not be okay with the things I'm supposed to be okay with.'

'Whatever Ara.'

Giving a throaty sigh, Arados listened as Crovell's footsteps drifted further and further away. For a few moments he twinged with envy that he didn't have someone to run around after him. Being a single parent was hard and definitely lonely. Thoughtfully he ran his free hand over his bump, momentarily forgetting about his major food craving.

'It would be nice to have someone, wouldn't it Princess? Doesn't have to be anyone special, just someone to…'

He stopped himself from saying what he was about to say. He didn't need anyone to take care of him. He'd never needed anyone to take care of him. So he shouldn't be thinking like he did, that was just… wrong. Quickly he turned his attention back to the sandwich he was making. As he did, however, everything around him flickered strangely for a moment. Thinking nothing of it, he shook his head and tried to get on with what he was doing. Before he could the world around him began to sway and swirl in a sickening manner.

'What's going on,' he blinked as he realised he was no longer in the kitchen.

As if to answer him, a baby's breaking cry ripped through the air towards him. He didn't know how he knew, but something about the cry told him it was…

'Princess,' his hand moved down towards where his bump should be, only to discover it was no longer there.

Feeling more than a little panicked, he began moving through the distorted building he was in towards where the baby's cries were coming from. Every step he took felt like moving through mud. It was slow going and slower still when he found himself repeatedly opening doors to empty rooms.

'Princess,' he bleated periodically, 'Princess.'

Eventually he pulled open a door to a small nursery like room. The crying was unmistakably coming from inside the room, but something was wrong. As he cautiously made his way in he couldn't help but notice two things. The tape machine in the corner where the sound of crying was originating from and the slow pool of blood oozing from the crib towards him.

'P-Princess,' his voice shook, as he continued to edge his way into the room. 'Princess…'

He almost couldn't bring himself to look inside the crib. It was as if he knew exactly what he was going to see. Swallowing hard, he found himself looking down into it. Instantly he felt horrifically sick.

'Princess,' he screamed, before breaking down into uncontrollable tears.

It was only then he realised he was holding something. Somehow through his distress he managed to look down into his hand. It was the same bread knife he'd picked up in the kitchen, only now it was covered in a thick layer of blood. Instantly his heart began beating hard in his chest. Someone must be trying to frame him for what they'd done to his baby. Either that or… The other thought was unthinkable. All it caused was more pain and sorrow to well up inside of him.

'Princess,' he screamed out again, 'Princess, no!'

Suddenly everything around him snapped into a clear focus again. He found himself back in the kitchen, exactly as he had been before whatever it was had happened. In a strange kind of panic he threw the bread knife away from himself and wrapped his arms around his re-grown bump. Inside his chest his heart was beating frantically. He'd never been so afraid of anything in his whole life and now he was completely dumbstruck. With alarming speed Crovell broke into the kitchen, his face almost as white as Arados felt his must be.

'What's going on,' his brother was clearly more than a little unnerved. 'Jo and I heard screaming, but when I came to see what it was I couldn't get in. Not even by Jumping. Are you okay?'

In a kind of numbness all Arados was able to do was shake his head in a repetitive pattern of threes. His whole mouth felt dry and this throat paralysed beyond the point of sounds.

'Ara,' Crovell moved quickly towards him, as Arados's head began to spin. 'Ara,' he felt his brother catch him as he swooned, 'what happened? Who did this to you?'

'What's going on,' he heard Jo's voice at the doorway. 'What happened?'

'I don't know,' his brother sounded tense, 'he just started bleeding. We need to get him to a hospital.'

'We can't.'

'We have to,' Crovell's voice strained with worry, 'what other choice do we have?'


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Against his better judgement Jo had somehow convinced Crovell to let them call Nansetter before risking exposure in the emergency room. Crovell still firmly believed the hospital was the best place for his clearly shell shocked little brother, but until someone else could convince his sister otherwise he was stuck. Almost as soon as Nansetter had arrived she'd made no short work of examining her patient. The frown on her face showed she was concerned about something and for what felt like the millionth time Crovell was glad his old friend had agreed to be Arados's midwife.

Upon finishing her examination she summoned a number of sterile towels and dressings in order to clean up the blood.

'Well,' Crovell met her gaze, as they moved out of Arados's earshot.

'Tearing of the outa lining of the womb,' her words were plain, 'is common in the last couple o months of this kind of pregnancy. After all the wee burn will have to break itself out o the womb-sack.'

'But Ara still has three months left to go,' Crovell tried to protest, 'surely that's too soon for the lining to be…'

'Youse right laddie, is not common fur the lining to be this fragile this soon, but it's not unheard of. I suggest plenty o bed rest for the next few weeks.'

'Great,' Jo rolled her eyes, 'he's just going to love that idea.'

'I'll make sure he sticks to it,' Crovell swallowed dryly, 'I'll even wait on him hand and foot to make sure that he does.'

'Since when were you such a good brother to him,' she shot him a funny look.

'Since now,' a numb feeling washed back and forth through him. 'Something bad happened in that kitchen, I know it. That's why this happened. It was the stress… or the fear… or whatever it was that happened to him in there that caused this.'

'Its possible undue stress brought it on,' Nansetter mused, 'but why do I get the feeling youse thinks it's more than that?'

'You didn't hear him screaming,' Crovell turned away from her, 'or saw the look on his face before he collapsed. Something happened… someone did this to him, I'm certain of it.'

'Then youse better see to it that yur taking care of him well laddie. Cuz I'd hate to think of something doing this to him again.'

'So you think something did this to him too,' Jo frowned at her. 'I thought you said it wasn't uncommon to happen naturally this soon.'

'Its not lassie, but I just think it'll be better fur the lot of youse if yur over cautious on this one.'

'Why?'

'Yur brother has been in fur weekly scans with may, remember? If I thought he were at risk of this happening I would have told him t rest long before now.'

'Just because you didn't think it would happen, doesn't mean…'

'I know that lassie, but I have to agree with yur feller here. Although it is part of a natural process, something all together unnatural caused that tear.'

'What makes you so sure?'

'He's not the first pregnant laddie I've seen in my time Princess, but he certainly bay the strongest. This is the last thing I would have expected, especially the way the laddie is taken it. Something happened to him, I'm sure o that.'

'That's it,' Crovell gritted his teeth, feeling more than mildly overprotective, 'from now on I'm not leaving him on his own.'

'You mean you're going to follow him everywhere,' Jo cocked an eyebrow.

'No,' he shook his head, 'I just think someone should be with him at all times.'

'Well I'm with him pretty much all day most days,' Jo frowned, 'and I don't think Ara would really appreciate twenty-four hour protection.'

'I don't care,' he snapped, 'I don't want anything hurting them,' he indicated towards his brother, 'or do I have to remind you that he's carrying the heir to the Lutoni house.'

'This is about more than just protecting the line though, isn't it,' Jo challenged him. 'You're worried about him.'

'And you're not?'

'Of course I'm worried about him,' she folded her arms, 'but my emotions aren't so over the top about it.'

'You think I'm being over the top about this?'

'I'm just not sure Ara will really appreciate so much brotherly attention.'

'If this is about jealousy…'

'Yes this is about jealousy,' she cut him off, 'I'm the one who should be your main concern right now. I'm the one you should be thinking about protecting.'

'Damnit,' Crovell was hit by a wave of realisation, 'we have to warn the others.'

'Warn the others about what?'

'About the fact something might be after the babies.'

'What?'

'Well what if Ara is just the first? What if he was attacked because of the baby? What if the rest of you are next? We have to make sure all of you are protected.'

'Crovell why are you being so manic about this,' Jo's frown deepened, 'for all we know it could have just been an isolated incident. A freak occurrence that Ara was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end. It might never happen again.'

'Something stopped me from getting in that room Jo. I could sense its hatred and I know it's not just going to disappear. I'll never forgive myself if I let it hurt anyone else.'

'You blame yourself for this happening to Ara?'

'Yes,' his emotions felt more than a little frayed, 'I should have been taking care of both of you, not assuming he could take care of himself. He's all on his own in this,' he lowered his head, 'everybody keeps forgetting about him, again. That probably just made him an easy target for this… this thing. And it's all my fault.'

'How is it all your fault?'

'I should have offered to keep him company or made him something or… I don't know. I just shouldn't have left him on his own.'

'You didn't know this was going to happen.'

'I should have.'

'Crovell he's not your responsibility.'

'Of course he's my responsibility Jo, just as much as he's yours. He's _our_ brother!'

For a few moments Jo was silent. He could tell by the look on her face she wasn't happy. But he could also tell she knew he was right. Eventually she gave a heavy sigh and shook her head.

'We should get him back home to bed,' her voice was low, 'and then one of us should let Mum and Dad know what's happened. Maybe then we can organise how we're going to go about giving him twenty-four hour protection.'

'Right,' Crovell sighed in relief, glad his sister was seeing reason about this.

'In the morning we'll let the others know what's gone on and let them decide how they want to handle this possible threat.'

'Why not tonight?'

'I doubt anything else will happen tonight,' she gave her own heavy sigh. 'And besides, that would just take focus away from Ara and heaven forbid we should do that.'


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

'Errargh,' she screamed in frustration, as she sent half the furniture in the living room flying.

'Let me guess, you've also had a less than wanted visit from my bastard brother,' Pitch pouted as she entered the room from the door on the opposite side.

'Oh it was better than that, he told me if I didn't want him involved I should just kill him,' her face grimaced sourly. 'He then used every dirty trick he could think of to make me feel guilty for harbouring any kind of negative feelings towards him.'

'It's not your fault you have doubts towards him,' Pitch folded her arms, 'not after the way he's treated you like his own personal experiment. What exactly does he want anyway?'

'He wants me to allow someone of his choosing to get involved somehow. Although he was quick to neglect the whole who and how part.'

'Then you should have killed him.'

'I don't think I can. I don't think anyone is capable of killing him,' she shook her head.

'God I hope with everything in me that isn't true,' Pitch grimaced, 'I can't stand the thought.'

'You know I can still remember a time when you didn't mind him.'

'That's because I didn't realise just how far away from the vision of him I had he truly was. I thought… I always thought because he was _her_ son that he couldn't… that there was no way he could be more monstrous than the sisters were. I thought he was a saving grace in _her_ lineage; I needed that hope and he shattered it into a million pieces.'

'Is that why you started those rumours about him?'

'You call them rumours like you don't know they're true,' she glared, 'what he did to you wasn't right and someone needed to tell the Council some of what was going on. What I don't get is why you're protecting him.'

'I don't have a choice,' she turned her gaze away, 'this situation is more complicated than you realise. Besides, all I really have are doubts, I don't have any evidence…'

'So?'

'So I can't risk the stability of the Balance over a few doubts. These rumours will die down eventually and then… then I'll be able to make a better assessment of the situation.'

'I knew befriending a Balancer would lead to my ruin,' she gave a heavy sigh. 'But for the record I was just trying to protect you.'

'I know and believe me I'm grateful someone was, but at the same time… Things are just way too complicated. More so than even you realise. I can't be the one to ruin everything.'

'Ruin everything?' Pitch frowned. 'What…?'

'Cuz nothing ever lasts forever, we're like flowers in this vase together,' she cut Pitch off, her choice of song lyrics clearly annoying her old friend.

'What is it with you and music anyway?'

'It's the only thing which keeps me connected when I'm this far away,' she knew her statement was missing words but she didn't really care. 'Besides, music has magical qualities all of its own; why do you think the Nymphs are so famous for it?'

'Nymphs are famous for a lot of things Red,' she shot her a look. 'Music is merely one of the more appropriate ones.'

'Because, of course, they have the sex to cover everything else.'

'I'm surprised the Nymphs don't get on better with the MacTay,' she rolled her eyes, 'both seem to live on their sexual appetites.'

'Whereas that might be a gross exaggeration, we both know the fundamental difference between the MacTay and the Nymphs. The Nymphs are pacifists. Beyond the point the Odraians and Silkoneons are I mean. They won't even fight to defend themselves for the most part.'

'And the few who do choose to protect the Balance,' Pitch sat herself down again, this time closer to her, 'whereas no MacTay would ever choose to become a Balancer.'

'They protect the Balance in their own way though.'

'And what way would that be,' Pitch laughed.

'The way that will always be more than what you do,' Kashmana's voice sounded from behind them, 'and I thought we agreed no sparring in the house.'

'We weren't sparring,' Pitch turned round to face him, 'we were venting our frustrations at _him_.'

'What has he done now?'

'He's sticking his noise into our business, that's what. And neither of us can work out why.'

'Hmm,' Kashmana mused for a few moments, 'maybe we should keep a closer eye on things.'

'And it might help if Miraid was to make another of her appearances,' she mused. 'They haven't seen hide nor hair of you in about four months now, that's gotta be strange.'

'I only appeared to them that time because you wanted them to think me suspicious,' Pitch pointed out. 'Strangeness comes under suspicion last time I checked.'

'Yes, but being forgotten about doesn't and you're at risk of that right about now.'

'Good. You know how I feel about being involved.'

'Come on Pitch, its not like I ask much of you.'

'Yes but what you do ask of me tries to make me go against her father. That's not fair.'

'Then think about it as me asking you to help her mother, does that make it easier?'

'Whatever,' she rolled her eyes. 'I'll give them another Miraid appearance if I must.'

'Good. Just remember to keep yourself outa sight of my Sen Khine.'

'Which is a surprisingly easy thing to do considering I always ask to see her.'

'They don't trust you,' she smirked, 'so they're gonna do whatever it takes to keep you away from her.'

'Good,' she laughed, 'because there's nothing more delicious than mistrust.'

'Tell me about it,' she laughed, 'because there's nothing better than the mistrusted good.'


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

With his thoughts on darker things, Drake found himself sitting on the wall surrounding his small balcony, staring out across the gardens towards the city which lay beyond. There were lots of things about the situation he was now in he wished he could change and as he thought about them his hand began to lightly play with the Ohpayo device on his wrist. If he had the guts to tear it off he would have the power to fix everything. Or at least he would have the power to allow someone else to wish everything better. And then… A movement outside of his room caused his gaze to flick towards the door. For a few seconds there was nothing, then SK slowly walked past glancing briefly in as he did. As their gazes met Drake couldn't help but allow his expression to sour.

Everything about the new SK-Hybrid felt offensive and wrong as far as Drake was concerned and he still couldn't believe his Mum had allowed him to stay in the Northern Palace when she currently couldn't stand him anymore than Drake could. Shaking his head despairingly, he turned his sights back towards the garden. As he did the faint sound of music caught his attention. For a few moments he just ignored it, figuring it was coming from one of the houses near the perimeter of the palace wall. But then something about the distinctness of it made him feel as though it were closer. His eyes made no short work of examining the garden below him more closely. He couldn't quite believe the sound was coming from there, but…

'It's my life, it's now or never, I ain't gonna live forever, I just wanna live whilst I'm alive,' the distinct singing of another voice above the music caused a wild streak to run through him.

With all the ease and fearless courage of a cat, he jumped down from his second story balcony to the ground below, landing neatly on all fours as he did. Pulling himself back up to his feet, he closed his eyes in order to focus the cat like sharpness of his senses on the music. Something about the way it was crescendoing alerted him to the fact the track was coming to an end. Half worried he'd miss the person playing it, he quickly stalked his way towards the source. Before he reached it, however, the track changed, as did where it was coming from.

Coming to an immediate stop, Drake refocused his senses. The music was coming from the other side of the wall now, but barely. Smirking to himself, he dropped to all fours and charged towards the wall. As his approached quickened he made a leap for the top of it, making it in one easy bound. From there he glanced downwards to see nothing but an empty space. Closing his eyes again, he refocused on the sound of the music, the track was about to change, he was certain of that. And, if he wasn't quick, then so would the source.

Leaping down from the wall, he stalked his way quickly through the otherwise silent city. As the track changed the beat of it matched the pacing of his steps, almost causing him to dance along. It was a strange sensation, as though he was being led along by invisible hands. Something about it reminded him of the description Lus had given about being under the control of the Power Limitless, although Drake was pretty certain that's not what was happening here.

'_When the dust has settled, will you make it back? Our days were numbered, our days were racked,_' the track had changed again, almost unnoticed, to something strangely slower and eerily softer. '_We fought and we lost, their end dear is now. Today's darkest cloud, was yesterday's light.'_

Everything in him screamed there was something not quite right about what was going on. But since this was the first time his senses even thought to warn him about being wary he just ignored them.

'_We must spiral out of control. So far and glory, rage in my skull. I'll weep because, to make it seem right. Today's darkest cloud, was yesterday's light._'

A strange kind of tension shuddered through his body, as his steps continued to move forward. He had no idea where he was heading anymore, just that he had to keep moving. And, like the unsettling intangibility of some of the lyrics, the lack of his own self control set him on edge.

'_I've got my sights set on you and I'm ready to aim,_' another track cut in for a moment, before switching back to a constant repetition of the eerie songs chorus.

From then onwards other songs would cut snippets over the eeriest one. It was as if whoever was in charge of the music was taunting him somehow, trying to lure him out towards them. Trying to… Thoughts began to catch in his mind, like bile in his throat. He felt mentally sick now, although he wasn't completely sure that should be possible. He wanted to stop moving forward, but whatever it was controlling him wouldn't let up. The lure of the music was too strong. Everything was too strong. Too uncontrollable. Too…

'_I've got my sights set on you, and I'm ready to aim. I have a heart that will never be tamed. I knew you were something special when you spoke my name. Now I can't wait to see you again._'

Suddenly the eerie track cut out completely and a new song, one which had only been snippeted at before broke in full. It was at this point he realised he'd been lead all the way to Kama Traydon.

'_The last time I freaked out, I just kept looking down. I st-st-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinking bout._'

Swallowing hard and without much of a choice, he made his way into the sacred garden. He couldn't believe anyone would be trying to lead him here. It didn't seem to make any sense.

'_Sitting on a corner street, children playing at my feet, see the smiles on ice cream faces,_' as one track changed into another the garden around him suddenly came alive with muted colours.

It was almost as if someone had set up disco lights at the bottom of every tree, but had only turned their setting on to dim. The colours rotated in perfect harmony to the music almost making everything around him feel unreal.

'_Feel myself begin to sink, as the wind blows through my skin. Leaves me open to temptation,_' he was beginning to near the Sacred Huntay now, but he still couldn't see who it was waiting for him. '_Cuz nothing ever lasts forever. We're like flowers in this vase together._'

'You and me, its pulling me down, wearing me down, piece by piece,' a familiar voice began singing over the music. 'And you can't see, that it's like a disease, killing me now, it's so hard to breathe.'

It was at this point that Drake knew with absolute certainty who it was leading him here. The voice was unmistakable and couldn't be from anything except the real thing. Stepping out onto the Huntay he spotted her; dressed in an almost transparent blue tunic and with her hair bound to her head with tightly knit flowers. In all his nightmares she'd never appeared so beautifully; the fact she appeared so now made it all the more painful for him.

'You… how…?'

'Sucking back a cigarette, thinking about new regrets, trying to be someone you'd like to be,' she continued singing, almost ignoring his question as she did. 'Passing faces on the road, where the hell can we still go, leaves us open to temptation. Cuz nothing ever lasts forever, we're like flowers in this vase together,' she held her hands out towards him and he was compelled to move closer.

'Why are you doing this to me,' he stumbled forward, his own arms lifting up so his hands would meet with hers. 'Why have you brought me here?'

'You and me, its pulling me down, wearing me down, piece by piece,' she tilted her head strangely as their hands met. 'And you can't see, that it's like a disease, killing me now, it's so hard to breathe.'

'I don't understand…'

'But its worth fighting for,' she continued to sing, as her hand made their way up his arms towards his face. 'It's still worth fighting for. It's worth fighting for,' she began to lean in towards him.

'_Cuz nothing ever lasts forever, we're like flowers in this vase together,_' the music taunted as her lips met with his.

Everything in him wanted to pull away from her in disgust, but he couldn't move. Around him the music kept playing to its conclusion, whilst in his arms the body of the girl he was kissing slowly began to rot away. Disgust rolled into horror, then back into disgust again as his lips remained glued to the disintegrating corpse. His previous thoughts had been wrong, this was much worse than his normal nightmares. And this… this was real…?


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Her lips kept twisting themselves into a displeased pout and the more Crovell kept fussing over Arados, the harder she found it to keep the pout under control. She knew she had nothing to be jealous of, so her feelings here were completely irrational. But there was one place she knew of where the same feelings were not so irrational and it was that which kept them alive here. More so since even the presence of her parents couldn't entice Crovell to come away with her. He was so completely hung up on some kind of irrational guilt that Jo began to wonder whether or not he'd done something himself.

Her visionary powers had become dimmer in the last few months. Ahna and Catilin had both reassured her it was normal in a Silkoneon pregnancy, because the lost energy was going into protecting the unborn child, but that didn't help much; especially as the voices inside her kept twittering on about her being a God. Sighing heavily, she turned to head back to her room. Before she could, however, Crovell caught a tight hold of her wrist.

'Where do you think you're going,' he voice was tight.

'To bed,' she responded with an equal amount of curtness, 'since I'm obviously of no use to anyone here.'

'Oh no,' he shook his head, 'I'm not letting you go anywhere alone.'

'Then come to bed with me,' she blinked sweetly up at him, 'then I wouldn't have to.'

'I can't,' he sighed, 'or at least I can't just yet. Please, just wait a little while longer, I promise we can go to bed then.'

'But I want to go to bed now,' she held firm. 'I'm tired and it's not like there's much more you can do here; Ara's still too shell shocked to tell us what happened.'

'But I want to be here when he's ready to speak. I want to know what happened to him.'

'Why is that so important right now?'

'Because I want to make sure it doesn't happen to you or the others,' his face filled with such an honest look Jo almost felt her heart breaking for it.

'I doubt he'll say anything now till morning,' their father interrupted them. 'You're both better off going to bed now.'

'But…' Crovell tried to protest.

'Your father's right,' her mother sighed, 'and one of us will let you know as soon as he starts saying anything, alright? Just take your sister and gets some rest will you?'

Crovell's expression became painfully hurt. He clearly didn't want to leave his brother right now, although his concern appeared to be over more than just trying to be a good big brother. Taking hold of his hand, Jo carefully managed to pull him out of the room and he reluctantly fell into place beside her.

'It's my fault, isn't it?'

'What,' she couldn't help but shoot him a strange look.

'It's my fault,' he repeated. 'I'm the reason Ara's like that. Its something I did… something I said…'

'No,' she shook her head, 'no of course it isn't. What on Sil would make you think that?'

'I was the last person to see him. I was the last person to talk to him. I was in the kitchen for much longer than he was. What if… what if it was meant for me? What if someone was trying to hurt me?'

'Then they would have had plenty of time to do it before Ara arrived.'

'But what if they didn't? Or what if they hurt him just to hurt me?'

'Wouldn't they have gone after me then?'

'Maybe they'll go after you next,' his face filled with alarm. 'Maybe they're toying with me, trying to make me work out who they are and the longer I take the more people they'll hurt. I need to warn Duke.'

'Duke can take care of himself,' Jo tried to abate him, her whole body surging with painful jealousy as she did. 'He doesn't need you to protect him, but right now I do.'

'But what if thinking like that means they go after him next? I couldn't stand it.'

'But you could stand them coming after me,' her voice broke with hurt. 'Am I really less important to you?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'of course you're not. That's not what I meant. But you have me here to protect you. What does he have right now? None of his family will forgive him for loosing Kasey. He needs me too.'

'Crovell…' she stopped herself.

No matter how tempting it was to try and break his illusion, she knew she couldn't. She knew she'd just keep on pretending SK was Duke, even though it completely ate her up inside. She couldn't stand it. And she couldn't stand how jealous it made her feel.

'Crovell,' she continued carefully, 'you can use the phone in our room to warn him, okay?'

'Okay,' he nodded.

'And then once he's been warned he'll be ready to take care of himself, right?'

'Yeah,' Crovell grinned, 'of course he will, I mean he's got all those powers finally unlocked now, so he'll be able to stand up to whatever it is.'

'And you'll know if he's in trouble, right?'

'Right and then I can go to his aid.'

'Right,' she smiled weakly, wishing she didn't have to be so patronising or at the very least he would realise she was.

'I love you Jo,' he smiled back at her, 'you always know the right things to say.'

'Do you love me more than Duke?'

'It's not a competition Jo; I love you both in different ways. There is no one more than the other.'

'I wish you would love me more than him.'

'Why?'

'Because you're the only one for me and he… he loves Catilin.'

'I know.'

'And… and I sometimes feel like you're only with me because you can't be with him.'

'But it's not like that,' he shook his head. 'There is no me loving one of you more than the other, but I do need you more than I need him.'

'Really?'

'Of course.'

'I wish you'd make it feel that way sometimes.'

'I thought I did,' his forehead furrowed anxiously. 'I'm sorry Jo, I don't mean to make you feel second best, its just… he's more breakable than you are and I couldn't stand anything happening to either of you.'

'I know. I just wish you'd remember I was one of the either every now and then.'

'But I do remember.'

'Really?'

'I love you Jo,' he met and held her gaze, 'I'll always love you.'


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

With great ease Hickarama Jumped from shadow to shadow, checking in on her half siblings as she did. They were all recovering at a reasonable pace for their injuries. Although injury felt like a strange thing to call it. Sighing heavily Hickarama turned her attentions towards her own tribe. They were now in a position of power none of them ever thought they would see and yet she was the only one who knew about it. It didn't seem fair somehow, but as her alternative was so displeasurable she thought it best to avoid it.

She was perhaps about halfway home when his figure appeared before her. He was tall and almost devilishly handsome. His hair was a shock white and his face had a strangely ageless feel about it. There was something familiar about the way he looked, but at the same time she was pretty certain she'd never seen him before in her life. The mix of feelings she had about him made her feel unsettled, which in turn made her feel pathetic; who was intimidated by a Vii Sen?

Swallowing hard, she pulled herself up to her full height and reminded herself she was the leader of her tribe and not some little kid wannabe.

'Explain why you are trespassing in my territory,' she demanded.

'Gladly,' his voice was tinged with cruel amusement, 'but only after you explain to me why you're keeping such close tabs on the other tribe leaders.'

'I have my reasons,' she hardened her jaw line.

'Your reasons, or your orders,' he challenged. 'What is it you're afraid will happen if you don't do what you're told?'

'What makes you think I'm being told to do anything?'

'I can see it in your eyes as you're talking to me,' he placed a hand under her chin and forced her to maintain his gaze. 'Your eyes tell me a lot about you Hickarama. I would say they were windows into your soul, but I know demons don't have those.'

'Explain you presence in my territory,' she gritted her teeth, 'I will have no more of your nonsense until you do.'

'And what if I can't explain my presence,' he smirked, 'or what if I don't want to.'

'You will explain your presence or risk my wrath.'

'Your wrath,' he laughed, 'does a little thing like you even have one of those?'

'Who do you think you are to be talking to me like that?'

'I think I'm a lot older than you might believe and I think in all that time I've gathered enough knowledge and power to make a _little thing_ like you afraid.'

'I am not afraid of you.'

'Are you sure about that?'

'I am not afraid of you,' her voice remained firm, 'do you understand that?'

'I understand only that you were spared for some reason and I want to know why.'

'What?'

'Oh don't act so shocked,' he rolled his eyes, 'you know exactly what I'm talking about. You were spared by the beast, when the others were not. I want to know why.'

'What makes you think there is a reason? Maybe I just got lucky.'

'Luck has nothing to do with this. You've been spared by design and you know it. That's why you're jumping through all the hoops _she's_ laid out for you.'

'I'm not jumping through anyone's hoops,' she gritted her teeth, hoping her unnerve wasn't showing. 'How dare you suggest that I, the leader of the…'

'But I do suggest it,' he cut her off, 'and nothing you're saying convinces me of anything other than the fact it must be true. You are under her thumb and I want to know why.'

'You'll be wanting to know for a long time then,' she turned away from him in disgust. 'Because what you're wanting to know isn't true.'

'Oh yes it is Hickarama. It's…'

'I'm sorry,' she cut him off sharply, 'but who did you say you were again?'

'I didn't,' he admitted, 'but who I am really doesn't matter as much as…'

'You are infringing on my territory unworthy one, I demand to know who you are.'

'Unworthy one,' he laughed, 'you expect me to show you any kind of respect now?'

'I expect that you'll accept my authority in my territory or suffer the consequences.'

'Consequences is such a big word for such a little demon. Did she teach it to you?'

'Stop being so vulgar.'

'Vulgar,' he laughed, 'you think I'm being vulgar?'

'I think you're trying your hardest to be.'

'Oh my dear you really are priceless,' he shook his head in amusement. 'You think you can fool me, but not even your father could do that. I've been around too long. Seen too much. Done more than you could even begin to imagine. I am nobody's fool now.'

'Think a lot of yourself do you,' she shot him a sour look. 'Think you're so great… so powerful, that you… you… you…'

'Know everything there is to know about everyone,' he interrupted her. 'Well I wouldn't go quite as far as that. After all I'm only human and my ability to retain every memory I've made has its limits.'

'So you're not as…'

'Just because I can't retain it all, doesn't mean I don't know it all. All I need is a little reminder and it all comes flooding back to me. I have been alive too long for it to be any other way.'

'I don't believe you.'

'No?'

'No,' she glared at him.

'Well that's a shame, because here I thought maybe you might be a little smarter than that.'

'How dare you…?'

'I dare because I have everything I need to back myself up. I am not a fool Hickarama and a little girl like you would be good to remember that.'

As he spoke it began to rain. But not the usual mild rain which normally fell in her territory. This rain was ice cold and was enough to cause shivers to run up and down her spine. No matter how much she wanted to pretend otherwise, this guy unnerved her. She didn't know if he was really as old as he was trying to make out or if he knew even half as much as he was claiming he did. But there was something about him. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on, which could drive fear into her if he wanted it to.

'What do you want from me?' She tried to keep her voice level and calm.

'So you believe me then?'

'I didn't say that. I just want to know what it is you're after.'

'A dear old friend of mine has asked me to do him a favour.'

'What… what kind of favour.'

'He wants to know what she told you,' a cruel grin pulled across his face, 'he wants to know everything.'


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Taylor had gone to bed early, not because he was tired, but because there was nothing else for him to do. He had been lying in bed staring at his phone until it past nine pm and he realised Drake probably wasn't about to call him. At that thought he sighed heavily and turned away from where his phone was. It wasn't unusual for Drake to miss calling him of an evening. After all, there was always so much he had to do and now he was home again his bedtime had gone back to being ridiculously early. But despite all that Taylor still felt a heavy beat of disappointment.

An hour past and his mind started to drift as he lightly began to dose. Being in bed like this always made him feel tired eventually and he had been known on occasion to fall asleep on the phone; not that Drake ever seemed to mind. As he thought about Drake, he suddenly got a distinct image of his boyfriend lying in the middle of Kama Traydon completely unconscious. As this image came to him his heart missed several sickening beats and his eyes tried to force themselves open.

He didn't know why or how, but everything in him was telling him the image was more than just a bad feeling. That Drake really was out there in the middle of the sacred garden, because something bad had happened to him and he needed Taylor now more than ever. Somehow his eyes finally managed to force themselves open. But as they did he was confronted with the sight of Drake staring almost fearfully down at him.

'Are you okay,' he sat up and took Drake into his arms, 'I just had the worst… I don't know, dream, I guess, that you were in trouble.'

'I am in trouble,' Drake bit his lip nervously and averted his gaze, 'so much trouble.'

'How? Why?'

'I broke it…'

'What?'

'I broke it,' Drake lifted his arm to reveal that his Ohpayo device was missing. 'I was just… fiddling with it and it broke.'

'Broke how exactly? Maybe you just unlocked it. Maybe you can just put it back on.'

'It won't go back on.'

'Why not?'

'Because it fell all the way down. So far down…'

'Down where?'

'Down down.'

'Down where,' Taylor was feeling more than a little anxious now, 'you're not making any sense.'

'Am I supposed to?'

'Drake what's wrong with you?'

'I told you,' his deep green eyes met with Taylor's, 'I'm in trouble.'

For the flicker of a second Drake's eyes appeared to change colour and almost looked as though they belonged to someone else. Taylor didn't know if he was imagining it or not, but just the thought alone left a cold feeling in his stomach.

'Drake,' he cut off his own train of thoughts, 'something weird is going on here, do you realise that?'

'Maybe somebody made a wish,' his voice was low, 'maybe something bad is about to happen.'

'Have you seen anybody other than me since you lost the device?'

'Not that I know of,' he shook his head, 'but maybe they saw me. They saw me and made a wish. I wouldn't know. I don't feel anything… I don't think I feel anything when it happens.'

'Then we won't know for sure until something happens.'

'Tay I'm scared,' Drake voice became small and childlike, 'I'm really scared. What if she comes?'

'She won't come,' he gently took the younger boy's face in his hands, 'and if she does you'll have me to protect you.'

At that he softly leant in to kiss him. But no sooner than he did something almost unimaginably strange happened. The room around him changed and appeared to warp out of control. Blinking in alarm he pulled back from Drake and began staring around in confusion.

'Why would I hate you,' he heard Drake murmur from beside him.

Before he could ask Drake what he meant, he felt the younger boy's lips on his again. Half stunned he found himself being lowered back down onto the bed.

'I've been trying to tell you for ages,' Drake's voice toned strangely as he spoke, 'but it never seemed like the right time and… and… you always seemed to… to smell like Drake. I thought you liked him more than me. You've no idea how jealous I've been. But now I know,' he kissed him, almost joyously. 'Now I know you like me more.'

'Drake…' Taylor breathed in confusion, 'Drake this is all wrong,' he tried to push the younger boy off him. 'Don't you hear what you're saying?'

'I know this probably seems like the wrong time for this to happen,' he continued, oblivious to Taylor's confusion, 'but maybe that's why it did. Maybe… maybe…'

He kissed him again and it was all Taylor could do to turn his face away, breaking it.

'Drake, stop it. Stop this,' he could hear his voice start to crack with tears.

All these words were too painfully familiar for him to listen to again. He couldn't do it. He couldn't go through this.

'You want him,' an unbelievable level of anger suddenly rose up through Drake's voice. 'You came in reeking of him, I should have known,' his grip on Taylor's wrists tightened. 'But if you want him so badly, then why did you kiss me?'

'This is all wrong Drake,' he half screamed back. 'Don't you get it, this is all wrong. Don't make me relive this please. Don't make me relive this with your face. I couldn't stand that.'

'I already hate you,' he spat out the words as though they were scripted. 'How could I hate you anymore?'

'Stop it, stop it, stop it,' his voice became more than desperate now, 'I don't want to go through this again. Not like this. Not with you. Stop it.'

Suddenly Drake's whole image began to flicker. First just little bits of him appeared to change, then change back. Then more of him did.

'Fine, if that's how you want to be,' a belt suddenly appeared in Drake's hands and he quickly used it to bind Taylor to the bed.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no,' he moaned over and over again, as he began to realise what Drake's image kept flicking too. 'Don't do this. Don't make me go through this.'

'Making you pay,' Drake snarled, as he continued to follow the preordained script heedless of Taylor's changes to it. 'What do you have Drake's number saved under?'

'Stop it,' he screamed, 'both of you stop it.'

As he said those words half of Drake's image changed into Arados's. The two parts were so roughly sown together it made Taylor almost ill to look at them.

'What do you have Drake's number saved under,' the monster repeated the question.

'Please stop this,' Taylor begged, as he felt himself being shaken. 'Please, I can't take it anymore. Please…'

A sudden jolt to his body sent his eyes bolting open. It was a weird sensation to open your open eyes, but as that past he quickly realised he'd been dreaming. Staring around the room he spotted the anxious eyes of his Parto watching him.

'I…' his voice broke and even the thought of words became impossible.

Instead he shook his head and buried himself in his father's protective hug.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Almost as soon as the sickening kiss was over, Drake's eyes had flung open and he'd found himself back in the relative safety of his room in the Northern Palace. For a long time then he just lay there, trying to work out if he'd been dreaming or not. Something about it had felt so undoubtedly real he was having a little trouble believing it could have just been a dream. Eventually he just gave up trying to figure out what the truth was and went into his little bathroom to get a drink of water. The second his eyes met with his reflection in the mirror above the sink, however, everything in him went rigid with horror.

Slowly he placed his hands to his face, checking his features with his fingers as he did. The reflection mimicked his every move as if to try and convince him it really was his reflection.

'No, no, no, no, no, this can't be real, this has to be a dream,' he shook his head with slow horror. 'What are you?'

'Don't you know?'

'You… you can talk?'

At that the reflection simply laughed and grinned inanely at him.

'You can't be real,' Drake half backed away, 'I must still be asleep.'

'But Nicolie I love you,' the reflection bleated, 'why can't you believe in me?'

'I'm not Nicolie,' he shook his head, 'I'm Drake… Drake Ashmar. Nicolie was my… my Khine. My ancestor. I'm not him.'

'Don't be silly,' the reflection pouted, 'you are Nicolie Tracker, my husband.'

'No,' he insisted, 'I'm not. Nicolie is dead. And… and so are you.'

'That's so hateful,' her eyes brimmed with tears, 'how can you say that?'

'How can you be my reflection,' he challenged, 'how can that be possible?'

'Your reflection,' she tilted her head strangely, 'I'm not your reflection. Nicolie, are you feeling okay?'

'You know what,' he shook his head, 'I really don't know anymore. I'd love to say I was fine, that I was completely in my right mind, but I get the feeling that would be a lie. Either I'm going mad here or… or… or…'

'Or this is real,' she reached a hand towards him and he found his own hand rising to meet with hers. 'Why can't you just love me Nicolie, what's so hard about that?'

'You took my innocence from me,' his hand now resting on the reflection of her hand. 'You traumatised me. You've filled my nightmares with disturbing images for years. You…'

'You hate me,' again she looked deeply hurt.

'No… I don't know. I mean, I can't hate you completely, if I did… If I did I wouldn't be with Taylor. And you are Taylor… well kinda,' he turned his gaze away. 'He doesn't look like you, but sometimes… sometimes he feels like you.'

'And you love him?'

'Yes.'

'Then you do love me?'

'Yes,' suddenly the words came rushing out of him. 'Yes I do love you. But not like this. Not as you are now, but as you are as him I love you.'

'But why not like this?'

'Because like this you do nothing but torment me,' he shook his head. 'Like this you do nothing but make me feel… I'm not even sure I know. But I know I don't like it.'

For a moment her image flickered strangely. As it did an odd expression appeared on her face.

'Something is happening here,' she glanced around. 'Something bad. Someone's trying to hurt…' she cut herself off. 'They don't want me to tell you. I'm sorry I had to do this to you Drake, but they gave me no choice. This is… training.'

'Training,' his eyes flicked up to meet hers in concern, 'training for me?'

'No. For the one who created this situation,' her voice lowered fearfully. 'They're being taught to use a power that's not theirs and you… you're one of their test subjects. They had to do you again because…' again she cut herself off. 'I can't… I won't… don't make me,' she began glancing about fearfully.

'Talma,' Drake brought his other hand to meet with the surface of the mirror and her hand rose to join it, 'who's doing this?'

'I can't tell you,' she shook her head, 'they'll hurt you if I tell you anymore than I already have.'

'They can hurt me?'

'Yes,' there was a mix of fear and desperation in her voice, 'and they'll make sure I'm the one who does it.'

'But why?'

'Because they can,' her whole face filled with discomfort. 'Don't you get it? They're doing this for the sole reason that they can do it. Nothing else matters to them except mastering this.'

'And what is this exactly?'

'I can't tell you,' her voice broke. 'I want to; I want to so much but I can't. But I can tell you I am trapped here. I'm trapped here because they need me.'

'Why do they need you?'

'I'm not sure,' she shook her head, 'all I know is that I'm not the only one trapped in here. But I can't find the others.'

'Do you at least know who the others are?'

'No,' she shook her head, 'all I know is that it hurts when I don't do what they say. Drake I'm scared.'

'I want to help you,' he bit his lower lip, 'but you have to give me more to go on than this.'

'I can't,' she shook her head.

For a few moments he lowered his gaze thoughtfully, then he flicked it up to meet with hers again.

'You said the person doing this was being trained, does that mean… does that mean there's more than one person behind this?'

'I can't tell you that,' she nervously glanced upwards, 'but I've been trapped here for so long…'

'So long,' he frowned. 'How long?'

'I don't know,' she shook her head. 'I don't know. The last thing I remember I was helping to tell her story. I was making sure the truth came out. And then… then I found myself here.'

'Making sure the truth came out,' he backed away slightly and she did the same. 'But that… that was before I was even born.'

'I guess it must have been,' her face creased, 'I don't know,' she shook her head. 'I just know its been a long time. And all I've been able to do here is age and then get younger again. It's horrible here, like one continuous nightmare. I'm so alone…'

'I'll find a way to help you,' he insisted.

'And the others?'

'If I can find them,' he nodded, 'but I'm… I'm not sure how.'

'Neither am I. I should never have left the Light. I just want to go back there now.'

'I'll do everything I can to make sure you do,' he promised.

'I'm sorry I scared you before,' she whispered, as her image began to flicker and melt away. 'But I had no choice. And even if I did… They like to scare people. It makes them feel powerful. Like a Master of Fear. I'm so sorry Drake,' she began to disappear, 'please forgive me.'


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Sighing heavily Helen attempted to make herself more comfortable on Lus's hard backed bed. It had been a little over two months since she was officially allowed to move in and between his bed and the fact as a Vii Sen she needed a whole lot less sleep anyway, she hadn't had a single decent night's rest. Turning onto her side, she stared down at the cocoon like lump on the floor. The Motos might have allowed her to move in with their son. They might have allowed her to share his room and sleep in his bed. But they wouldn't allow them to share that bed. Although saying that both of them would not have been able to fit in it in her currently whale like state, but that was hardly the point.

Lus was sound asleep; he didn't have any problems adjusting to his place on the floor. Not that it really surprised Helen considering just how hard his mattress was. After her first night there she'd asked him how he could ever have slept on it. In reply he'd just shrugged and promised her she'd get used to it. She'd wanted to believe him then, but now… Sighing again she grabbed the blanket and one of the pillows and moved herself out into the living room. The couch was smaller, but it was a _lot_ more comfortable than Lus's bed and for the sake of a few hours sleep it was more than worth it.

'Can't sleep,' Téa's voice sounded from the darkness of the living room, startling her slightly.

'Yeah,' she admitted, as she nervously set herself up on the couch, 'the bed in there is much harder than I'm used to and as a Vii Sen I have enough trouble sleeping as it is.'

'I think the only person who can sleep on that bed is Lus,' Téa laughed lightly. 'We tried him on softer ones when he was younger, but he'd always somehow manage to end up sleeping on the floor. At first I was worried he was falling out of bed, but…' her shadowy form shrugged. 'I guess he just likes having something a little more solid underneath him. I can have Yugi sort you out with something more comfortable in the morning if you like.'

'Thanks,' she smiled gratefully, hoping Téa would be able to see it in the dim light of the room. 'What are you doing up?'

'Amy was keeping me awake,' there were more than a few loving tones in her voice, 'I never went through this with Lus.'

'You never really went through anything with Lus,' Helen tilted her head, hoping she'd been careful enough with her choice of words.

'Oh I know that,' Téa laughed again, 'you can't really appreciate a pregnancy when you've only had three days of it and I was always so afraid to go through it for real, after Lus I just felt so… guilty.'

'You went through a traumatic experience, its not such a terrible thing to… well you know,' she lowered her gaze slightly.

'Does it bother you that you're older than my son?'

'You've asked me that before,' she wrapped her arms around her bump, 'and I still believe now what I told you then; in a hundred years it won't matter how much older than him I am. We'll both still be here, looking as young as ever.'

For a few moments Téa was silent, then she got up from the chair she was sitting on and moved towards Helen.

'Would you hate me for wishing you weren't dead?'

'No,' Helen shook her head, 'I often wish that.'

'For any normal family Lus having a thing for dead girls would be a problem,' Téa sighed, 'but not for us. For us all of this is just too normal. So then why does it still bother me?'

'You wish your son had a more normal life,' Helen pressed her lips together.

'Does it make me a bad mother if I wished we had been allowed to take his powers away, just for a little while? I don't wish him harm, I just want him to be… normal. Nothing about his life has ever been normal. I just wish…'

'I know,' she cut her off gently, 'you just want what any good mother wants for their child.'

'You know he was barely even a year old when he first used his gift. I nearly died of fright when I couldn't find him. The older he got, the more he's learnt to turn invisible with him. It was only small objects at first, then bigger ones. Then multiple. Then… then he got sick and everything seemed to stop developing. He hasn't even really grown since then.'

'The fits are under control now, so maybe…'

'Oh, I know; he's getting stronger by the day,' Téa cut her off, 'and he's beginning to fill out just a little too. You know I think his clothes actually fit him now.'

'I had noticed,' she laughed lightly, 'and he's looking more than good for it.'

'It makes me wonder just how long _it _went unnoticed by the doctors for,' her voice trembled slightly.

There was a momentary pause.

'Do you think he's wishing his powers would start growing again?'

'Sometimes,' Helen tilted her head in thought, 'but I think he's much happier developing the skills he's taught himself over the years.'

'Skills,' Téa frowned, 'what skills?'

'The little tricks he's been developing,' Helen swallowed hard, hoping she hadn't just landed Lus in it, 'like throwing his voice and…'

'Oh that,' she laughed, 'I've never really thought of that kind of thing as being a skill, more of a hobby.'

'Well his hobby is something he's hoping will prove useful in combination with his gift.'

'That makes sense,' Téa tilted her head thoughtfully, 'I guess in his own way he has been growing.'

'I guess so,' Helen smiled, 'just in different ways to everyone else.'

For a few moments they were both silent again, then Téa got up from the couch and made her way out of the room.

'I'm going to try sleeping again; will you be okay out here?'

'I have been the last few nights,' Helen nodded. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight,' Téa turned to leave.

Sighing almost contently, Helen closed her eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. After shifting a few times to make herself more comfortable, she became aware of the fact someone was watching her. Opening her eyes, she half expected to find Lus stood there wondering why she'd left their room. Instead her eyes met with a frail looking boy of about ten. He appeared to have something of Lus about his features, but clearly wasn't recognisable as him; at least not from any of the pictures Helen had seen. For a few moments she could do nothing but stare at the boy's face. Then she realised something was amiss about his appearance. His clothes were in tatters and most of his exposed skin appeared to be covered in either dirt or blood.

'Are you okay,' she frowned in concern.

'You did this.'

'What?'

'You did this,' he repeated. 'It's your fault.'

'I don't… How?'

'If it wasn't for you Ni wouldn't have been given the beast's army. It was a trade off.'

'Who told you that?'

'You did,' the boy's image began to flicker.

'When?'

'When I was born,' he voice was plain and muted. 'You told me hell rose because of you. You told me it was all your fault. But I don't understand, how could you do this to me Mummy? What did I ever do to you?'


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

'Shouldn't you be sleeping by now?'

'Shouldn't you,' she glanced back up at him, before sighing heavily and refocusing on the palm of her right hand.

'Something on your mind,' Kashmana took a seat next to her.

'Isn't there always?'

'You're worried about the beast, aren't you?'

'No,' she shook her head, before lifting her gaze to meet his, 'right now the beast is the last thing on my mind.'

'Then what is?'

For a few long moments she was silent, then she got up from the couch she was sat on and made her way into the centre of the room.

'Well,' he pressed, 'are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?'

'There's something in the air tonight, don't you think?'

'Something like what,' he frowned, 'because there's always something…'

'Ominous,' she cut him off, 'something… heavy. Disruptive. Don't you feel it?'

'I can't say that I do,' he shook his head. 'But then again I wasn't the one who had an encounter with _him_ today. Well not directly anyway,' he laughed nervously, before running his fingers back through his hair. 'At least I've never thought of puppeting as being direct contact.'

'You think this is _him_,' she turned back towards him.

'I don't see who else it could be,' he shrugged, 'he's the only person in the multiverse who could unnerve you like this.'

'He's not the only one,' she shook her head, half turning away again.

'But he's the one that matters.'

'You think _he_ matters?'

'Of course,' he got up, to stand just behind her. 'He's played a huge roll in your life, how can you not be this affected by him?'

'He's up to something.'

'When isn't he?'

Again she was silent, but the silence was different this time. As though she were trying to listen out for something. Or sense something. Or…

'The air is still,' he remained calm, 'anything you feel is…'

'In my head,' she interrupted, 'don't you know me better than that by now?'

'I do, but I also know what I can sense. And right now I sense nothing.'

'Nothing,' she echoed, 'but there is something.'

'Something like what?'

'I don't know yet, but its there, I just know it.'

'Come on,' he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, 'its late, you need to get some sleep.'

'It'll be morning soon.'

'Exactly.'

'Alright,' she sighed, 'I'll get some sleep.'

* * *

><p>Proudly he stared down at the sleeping child. She'd done well today. Better than that, she'd performed beyond his own expectations. She might not be perfect just yet, but she was getting to be that way. It had been a long time since he'd met anyone who could surprise him like this and he was more than glad his old friend had left this task to him. Softly he chuckled to himself, not wanting to wake the sleeping babe as he did. His mind then began turning over the information he'd managed to gain that day. He never tired of gaining information through underhand means; it made him feel like he had control over the situation, a pleasure he was making sure he imparted on the young girl. In some ways it made him wish he'd been able to teach his own son, but the thought fleeted away from him almost as soon as he'd had it. His own son had managed to perform beyond expectations and then betray him; there was no controlling a person's heart or conscience.<p>

'Cuz nothing ever lasts forever,' he sang lightly under his breath, 'we're like flowers in the vase together.'

Chuckling lightly to himself again, he made his way out of the cabin and into the moonlit night beyond.

'How did she do?' His old friend's voice sounded out of the shadows.

'She was perfect,' he grinned, 'although I'm pretty sure we had an agreement about you not using that as a way of summoning me.'

'The way you were staring at the child I doubted I could have gained your attention any other way.'

'Just what are you trying to say?'

'I'm not trying to say anything, I was just making an observation.'

'Whatever,' he folded his arms, 'so, what did you think about her performance?'

'I think the Teen did well with her,' a dark grin spread across his face, 'but we can do better.'

'Naturally,' his eyes shifted around for a moment.

'It's just us, he's off doing other things right now.'

'Is that wise? Shouldn't you have sent him instead? Anyone could be watching.'

'That just makes it more exciting, doesn't it,' he laughed, 'weren't you the one who taught me that Baraku?'

'You're right,' he lowered his head, 'I was, how could I forget?'

* * *

><p>Drake couldn't get any sleep. Ever since Talma had pleaded for his help he couldn't get her off of his mind. It was strange to think there was a time he practically hated the image of her when now… now all he wanted to do was save her. Her and anyone else trapped within… He wasn't exactly sure what they were trapped within. Just that they were trapped was enough for him. It was troubling. More than troubling. It was as if…<p>

He wasn't completely sure. All he knew was that it was keeping him awake. Sighing heavily, he got up to try splashing water on his face. He didn't really think it would help anything, but he just wanted to feel a little refreshed. Too afraid to look in the mirror now, he kept his gaze lowered as he made his way towards the sink. He then ran the cold tap and cupped his hand underneath the stream of water, before splashing his face with the cool water. He repeated the process a couple more times, before turning the tap off and reaching for the nearest hand towel.

As he patted his face dry, some strong temptation in him caused his eyes to rise up towards the glass of the mirror. There was nothing there now. For a second it didn't register there was something wrong with what he was mentally saying. Then it twigged. His eyes moved with an almost frantic search, as he placed a hand to the cold glass.

'Where am I,' his heart beat hard in his chest. 'Where am I? What's going on? Why can't I see myself? Why can't I see myself?'


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Lus had been more than a little worried to find Helen wasn't in their room when he woke up that morning. Hoping she'd just left early to make them both breakfast or something he got up to investigate. Even before he spotted her he could feel the ominously heavy feeling in the air. It weighed down on him like a kilogram of water and only became heavier the closer he got to her.

'Trouble sleeping,' he could hear the apprehension in his own voice as he stood by the arm of the couch she was on.

'I barely got five minutes,' she sounded tired, 'I had…' she hesitated for a moment, 'a dream.'

'A bad one?'

'It was… strange.'

'What was it about?'

'I saw our son,' her words were chosen carefully, 'and he was… dying. I think he was dying. He was… barely ten, yet he'd seen so much pain and it was all my fault.'

'How was it your fault,' Lus moved himself into a position better suited to comfort her.

'I was… I was the trade Ni made for the army of Sen Pay. If it wasn't for me… if I hadn't have been stupid enough to have been captured by him like that, then… then none of this would be happening now. It's all my fault.'

'No it isn't,' he assured her.

'Then why would our son tell me I was?'

'It was just a dream Helen,' he soothed, 'you've probably been wondering why Ni never tried coming after you and your subconscious made the link to the army; it doesn't mean that it's true.'

'But it was so… real,' she lowered her voice, 'I could smell the blood and the dirt and the… the pain…'

'You can smell pain,' he frowned.

'You know what I mean,' she turned to him, her eyes large with desperation. 'It was less of a dream and more of a… a vision. It was a vision of the future.'

'You mean you think we're going to lose to Ni?'

'I don't know,' her whole body began to shake; as it became clear she was holding back a flood of tears. 'All I know is that it was more than just a dream.'

'Maybe we should tell the others about it.'

'No,' she shook her head, 'then they'll just blame me for what's going to happen. I know they don't exactly like me as it is; I mean, you knew me for all of five seconds before I wound up carrying your child. I know what they think of me.'

'Hey hey,' he forced her to meet his gaze, 'now you know as well as I do the Power Limitless girl was behind that. She told us that much herself, remember?'

'Yes but the others don't know it, do they? They're just left to think I'm nothing more than a… a…'

'I promise you they don't think that of you and they all think of you as family, because you make me happy and that's all that matters.'

'Is it,' she turned her head away, 'sometimes I wonder.'

'You shouldn't have to wonder,' he shot her as reassuring a smile as he could manage, 'you just have to know that I love you and I'll do everything in this world to protect you and our baby.'

'He's going to look so much like you,' her face crinkled tearfully, 'just like you look so much like your father. I guess those genes are pretty dominant.'

'You don't know that for sure yet,' he gently stroked some of her hair, 'he could end up being as lovely as you are.'

'Oh no,' she shook her head, 'I want him to end up every inch your son.'

'Why?'

'Because your son will be alive and my son…'

'Hey, hey, hey,' he gently brushed a tear back from her cheek, 'you're not allowed to think of yourself as dead here, remember?'

'But I am dead. I'm dead and this child will be partly dead too. A Sudosen. It doesn't seem right somehow.'

'But it is right. It's more than right, because this… this is our child. A part of us. And we're right.'

'Are we,' she swallowed hard, 'or are we just a better alternative to the other possibility? What if the price of me being good is just too great?'

'How can it be?'

'Hell is going to rise because of me.'

'No,' he shook his head, 'don't think like that.'

'How can I not think like that when my own son…'

'It was just a dream; a manifestation of your belated guilt.'

'If only I could believe that,' she shook her head. 'Don't you think I want to believe that?'

For a few moments he was silent, then he carefully pulled her into his arms as he tried to think of something… anything to say.

'Niall,' he eventually broke the silence.

'What,' she turned her face up towards him.

'When you saw him in your dream, did he look like a Niall?'

For a few moments she became thoughtful, then a strange smile pulled across her face.

'I think he did,' she nodded.

'I've been thinking of the name for him for a while now,' he gave a slightly embarrassed laugh, 'but I couldn't think of a way to bring it up with you.'

'But why… I mean, why that name?'

'I don't know,' he admitted, 'there was something about it, from the moment it first came to me, something which felt… right somehow.'

'Our baby Niall,' a soft smile tugged at her lips, 'it does seem right somehow, doesn't it?'

'I'm glad you think so.'

'Now all we need is for Jo to name her bump and we'll have a full set,' she laughed lightly.

'Yeah,' he gave a muted half laugh of his own, 'and at this point it doesn't really matter what she picks, because anything will be better than Princess.'

That caused a proper laugh to come out of Helen and Lus was glad to see she was perking up a bit.

'You know he really is determined to call her that,' Helen sighed, almost contently, 'I think he's so precious over her already he wants the rest of us to be the same.'

'Princess Lutoni,' Lus couldn't help but smirk, 'I guess that does have a nice ring to it.'

'Nicer than Niall Moto?'

'Hmm,' he thought about it for a few moments, 'about the same,' he kissed her. 'Do you mind if I'm there for him?'

'What,' she frowned.

'For Arados, when Princess is born. Tay and I both said we'd be there for him.'

'Does this mean they want to be there for you when Niall is born?'

'That's a little different,' he shrugged, 'because you're the one giving birth you're the only one who can decide that.'

'The three of you are so close,' she tilted her head thoughtfully, 'I guess I wouldn't mind.'

'Now if only Tay were expecting a child,' Lus smirked, 'then we'd really be three, for three.'


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The cold light of the morning had woken him pretty early, but the safety of the bed and the stillness of the room kept him in a light doze. After a while he could hear his parents pottering around, it felt strange and comforting at the same time but it wasn't until he remembered what had happened the evening before his mind finally allowed him to become fully alert. Opening his eyes he stared up into his Dad's, hoping to see something other than grief in them.

'It's okay,' his Dad soothed, coming across to sit next to him as he did, 'there was just a small tearing in the lining of the outer womb. You're going to have to rest here for a little while, but you and the baby should both be fine.'

With his face crumpling slightly, Arados moved his hands towards his bump. He could feel the bandaging which had been placed over it and instantly any words of comfort his father could impart to him fell on deaf ears. It took his Dad literally grabbing him by his shoulders before he was able to do anything but let out a moan of distress.

'Arados,' his father's voice was stern, 'its okay. You and the baby are going to be okay. There's no need for all this noise, okay?'

'But it's my fault,' he somehow managed to out, 'I hurt her. I hurt Princess.'

'No,' his father insisted, 'you didn't hurt her. It was no one's fault. These things happen occasionally.'

'No, no, no,' his eyes began to burn with tears, 'you don't understand. It's my fault. I'm the reason this happened. I did this to her. I hurt her.'

'You didn't hurt her,' he shook his head, 'you're baby is okay.'

'No, no, no,' he shook his head, 'I hurt her. I hurt Princess,' his voice began to break. 'I heard her crying… there was so much blood… I heard her… I hurt her… I…'

'Arados what are you talking about,' his father's grip on him tightened. 'What do you mean you heard her?'

'I… I… I…' he sobbed, 'I was in the kitchen and… and I had… had a knife in my hand… and I…'

'Ara you…' his father interrupted him nervously, 'you didn't… didn't do this to yourself did you?'

'I… I…' he stammered, not completely sure what his father meant by that. 'I was in the kitchen when it… it became… I don't know, not the kitchen anymore. And I heard her crying. I heard her crying and I knew it was her. And I… I ran… I ran to try and find her. I wanted to… to stop her crying. I had to stop her crying.'

'Ara…' his father's voice was filled with confusion now, 'what did you do?'

'I kept running,' he murmured tearfully, 'I had to let her know everything was okay. But… but when I found her… when I found her… there was… was blood… blood everywhere. And it wasn't her crying. It wasn't really her crying. She was… she was… she was… and I…' completely unable to say anything else he burst into tears.

'Ara,' his father pulled him into his arms, 'it's okay; I don't think any of that really happened, okay?'

'But it felt so real,' he buried himself against his father. 'Why would I do that to Princess?'

'Crovell said there was some force around the kitchen last night. I think someone wanted to… to make you think you could do something like that. But you're not… I promise you you're not capable of hurting your baby.'

'But what if I am,' he choked. 'What if what I was seeing was the future?'

'Ara there's no future in the world that would make you do that.'

'But it felt so real.'

'I know it must have felt that way, but… but I think someone just wanted it to appear like that. You're okay really, I promise you. You're both okay.'

'Dad I'm scared,' he clung to his father's shirt. 'I'm scared I'm going to hurt her. I don't want to hurt Princess. I don't want anything to hurt Princess. I love her.'

'I know. And that's why I know you're going to follow doctor's orders and stay in bed until we can be sure this won't happen again.'

'But what if it does? What if none of this matters? What if…'

'Ara its okay,' he cut him off, 'everything will be okay, I promise you.'

For a few minutes they were both silent. Then Arados found himself swallowing sickly hard. He had to say what he was about to say next, but the words seemed to catch in his throat even as he was thinking about them.

'D-dad,' he eventually managed.

'What is it,' his Dad continued to hold him comfortingly.

'No matter what I want you and Mum to protect Princess. From everything, even me.'

'Ara…'

'I mean it Dad; I don't want anything happening to my baby. So if you think I'm going to do something then I want you to take her away from me and keep her safe. All that matters is that Princess is safe, do you understand?'

'You would never hurt her Ara, I know you wouldn't…'

'But just in case… please Dad I need to know that you will.'

'Okay,' his grip around Arados tightening again, 'I promise; the first sign anything might be wrong your mother and I will protect her for you.'

'Thank you,' his whole body filled with a mixture of relief and gratitude, 'that's all I needed to know.'

* * *

><p>Drake hadn't been completely sure what he'd been hoping for when he got up that morning. Maybe he wanted to find everything which had happened the night before was all part of one long, elaborately bad dream. That he'd imagined it all. That… He wasn't sure. But he did know he was so tired it was unlikely he'd had a full night's sleep. He also knew he was too afraid to look into the mirror to see how much of what had happened was true. Instead he made his way from his bed, straight out of the room and down towards the kitchen. All the way there he kept his gaze turned away from all reflective surfaces. He would not… he couldn't test that theory. Not now. Not yet.<p>

Reaching the kitchen he was surprised to see his mother already up and picking slowly at a slice of plain bread.

'You okay,' he kept his tone light but cautious.

'Mm-hm,' the sound was dull and her gaze remained focused on a far off point outside of the window.

'What time is it?'

'Half nine,' she shrugged, 'at least I think it is.'

'It's later than I thought,' he sighed, taking a seat on one of the stools as he did, 'no wonder you're already up.'

'If Kasey were here I'd be up by now,' her voice was low.

'I know Mum, but…'

'I've been up by this time every morning,' her eyes glistened with tears, 'I have to be, because what if she comes back and finds I'm still asleep? She'll think I don't love her anymore.'

'But this is the first time you've left your room this early,' Drake swallowed hard, hoping not to say anything that would upset her.

'I just miss her.'

'I know.'

'I miss her the most in the mornings, because that was our time.'

'I know,' he forced a small smile onto his face, 'I miss her most in the afternoons, because that's when I'd spend the most time with her. But we'll get her back Mum, I promise.'

'I know we will,' she turned towards him finally, only to have her sad expression turn into one of complete and utter confusion.

'Mum,' Drake swallowed hard, 'what's wrong?'

'You. You're all wrong.'


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Yugi had been sensing something strange all morning, he couldn't be sure what it was exactly; but he did know it was making him long to contact the one person who'd dominated his life, before the Mistress he now was had taken over. Moving himself into the quiet seclusion of his room, he stared with a deep sense of regret at the locked glass display case resting on Téa's dressing table. Inside lay the Millennium Puzzle, just as it had when he first placed it in there nearly six years ago.

It had been agreed by both him and the Pharaoh after the last time Lus had stolen and half destroyed the Puzzle, it was probably the safest thing for all concerned to lock it away. It made Yugi deeply regret never having found the last of the Millennium Items so they could lock Baraku away and allow the Yoam the peace he needed to reunite with Lillyannu and return to the Light. But then again in a strange way Yugi had always wondered if he'd intentionally kept himself distracted from that task.

Carefully he placed a palm flat against the glass of the cabinet. Something about the cool feeling of it beneath his hand sent shockwaves of guilty shivers running through him. Suppressing them he removed his hand and turned away from the case in order to look for the key. No sooner than he had a strong, unnatural gust of wind swept round him, pulling his body back towards the case. Everything began to flicker from light to dark and as his eyes met with the sight of the Millennium Puzzle, the glass to the case shattered and his most prized object vanished from sight.

'What…' he gasped in confusion, as his eyes desperately turned around the room. 'Who's in here, I want you to show yourself.'

'Yugi,' a dark voice sounded from behind him, toning with something familiar as it did.

Turning towards its source, he spotted a flickering image which stopped the blood dead in his veins. The way the images flickering was ever so slightly out of sink with everything around it, changing through a state of decay from almost alive to skeletal. Each of the figures remained upright, in the same position and with the same cruelly dead look on their face.

'You promised me Yugi,' the figure hissed slowly, as its image continued to flicker. 'You promised you'd help me so that I could finally rest.'

'I'm sorry, I meant to, but I…'

'No more of your _lies_,' the image cut him of, as cupboard doors shattered open sending the splinters flying. 'You promised me Yugi. You lied to me.'

'Yugi…' a distorted voice called from a different corner of the room. 'Yugi…'

'I didn't lie to you,' Yugi tried to remain focused on the figure in front of him, 'I really did mean to find the last item, to lock Baraku away forever and free you; I just… I just didn't want to lose you in the process.'

'So instead you kept me caged in that little prison all by myself. All alone for so long. You must really hate me,' the figured hissed the last part directly into his ear, as his image moved at a flicker to a place beside him. 'That or you think I'm stupid enough to fall for your lies.'

'Yugi…' the distorted voice called again, 'Yugi…'

'I'm sorry,' he insisted. 'I really am sorry, I didn't mean to trap you like that. It's just the more time went by I…'

'You thought I wouldn't notice,' the image flickered back to its original place. 'You thought I wouldn't mind. Well I do mind,' as its voice filled with anger it grated darkly, becoming almost unrecognisable in the process. 'You promised me Yugi and YOU LIED.'

The glass in the window and the wooden bedstead simultaneously shattered, sending wood and glass flying around the room.

'You lied to me. YOU LIED TO ME.'

As the figures voice grated more and more all of the shattered glass and wood began to whip itself up into a frenzied whirlwind.

'Yugi…' the distorted voice sounded again, 'Yugi…'

Somehow, despite the force whipping the almost deadly splinters around him, begging him to keep his eyes shut, he managed to turn himself round to the direction the other voice was coming from. In the far corner of the room he was just about able to make out a stretched image trying to reach its way towards him.

'Yugi…' the expression on its face showed a deep amount of sorrow and regret for what both of them were going through. 'Help…'

'How can I help you,' Yugi stared, 'what's happening to you?'

'Yugi…' it simply repeated. 'Help…'

Before he could ask it anything more, the flickering image appeared before him. The expression on its many decaying faces showed more anger and hatred than it had before; clearly it didn't like being ignored. As the expression it wore became darker and darker, the splinters flying round Yugi began to slice into his skin.

'Stop this,' Yugi winced against several points of impact. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you hanging all these years. I promise I'll make it right.'

'No more of your _lies_.'

'I'm not lying,' Yugi found himself almost shouting over the noise the splinters were making as they sliced against him. 'I promise I'll make this right. I promise I'll help you.'

'Yugi…' the distorted voice sounded close to his ear. 'Help…'

At the word help everything around him returned to normal. Everything which had been shattered was now fixed again and there wasn't even the smallest sign of a cut on his whole body. Frantically Yugi whipped himself round in order to examine the room. Both images were gone now and the only thing out of place was the open cabinet and the missing Puzzle. Gasping with the pain of his loss, Yugi sunk heavily down to his knees. He was too overwhelmed at first to notice anything on the ground, but when he did his heart lurched strangely.

With trembling hands he slowly picked up the little silver key and stared first towards the case, then towards himself. The Puzzle was still gone, but everything in him somehow told Yugi he was partly responsible for that.

'But how…' disbelief forced the words out. 'And why? Why would anyone want to do that to me?'

'Yugi…' he heard the faint calling of the distorted voice echoing in his mind. 'Help…'

'I want to,' he gripped the material of his top just above his heart, 'I just don't know how.'


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Taylor had been having a pretty cold morning. Although he knew both his parents were aware of the fact he'd had a nightmare, he'd not told either of them any of the details of it. He didn't really see the point, not when he knew they'd never understand how far from the ordinary it had been in every sense of the word. The dream had been left with no conclusion, although Taylor couldn't be sure if that made it any better or not. Every time he thought about it a cold sweat rippled down his back; it was all just so… so… so…

Before he could finish his train of thoughts the phone rang, startling him half out of his skin as it did. Figuring he was probably the closest person to one of the mansion's many extension lines, he picked up the hall phone he was passing and placed the receiver to his ear.

'Hello?'

'Tay, thank Light it's you,' Drake's voice sighed in relief from the other end, 'I've been trying your mobile for ages and couldn't get through; I was beginning to think something terrible had happened to you too.'

'What do you mean to me too,' he couldn't help but frown.

'I really shouldn't explain this over the phone,' his voice sounded more than a little tense. 'Is it okay for me to come and see you?'

'Don't you have school today?'

'We've broken up already,' he was almost too quick to disagree, 'and I really need to see you.'

For a few moments Taylor wasn't completely sure what he should say to him. He really didn't want to turn Drake away because he couldn't face the reality of his own nightmare, but at the same time…

'We can meet at the Southern Palace if you like,' Drake's voice cut into his thoughts, 'apparently something happened to Arados last night or at least that's what _he's_ saying.'

'Why would SK lie about something like that,' Taylor swallowed hard, still uncomfortable with the fact he had to defend his unwilling Daiosen to his boyfriend, 'and is that what you meant about being worried something bad had happened to me too?'

'Not exactly,' Drake's voice became almost evasive.

'Then what?'

'I don't wanna say, at least not over the phone.'

'Why not?'

'Because I'm not sure you're gonna like what I have to say.'

'Drake…' Taylor cut his own voice off; he was still too paranoid about the night before to know what he really thought about anything. 'Please can you just tell me who you think it involves at least?'

'Well that's the bit you're not going to like.'

'What do you mean?'

'And the other bit you're not going to believe unless I see you or rather if you see me and not see me as it were.'

'What?'

'I need to see you Tay,' Drake's voice began to sound almost desperate, 'please.'

There was something about the underlying level of fear in Drake's voice which finally snapped Taylor out of the binding hold his nightmare had left him in. How he ever could have allowed himself to become almost afraid of Drake like that he'd never know. All he knew now was he had to be there for the one he loved, no matter what.

'You can come here first,' Taylor lowered his head slightly, 'then, after you've explained everything, we'll go see Ara. I'd rather be better informed before I stick my foot in it.'

'Okay,' Drake's voice sighed with relief. 'Can I come over now?'

'As soon as you hang up.'

At that there was a dull click at the other end of the line. Replacing his own receiver, Taylor waited for Drake to appear before him. It didn't take long and the faint trace of a smile the younger boy was wearing matched the previous tone of his voice. Drake barely held Taylor's gaze for half a second, before turning his attention towards the mirror hanging on the wall above the phone. Almost as soon as he did Drake closed his eyes and took a strange breath inwards. Everything about him trembled with a strange kind of fear.

'Look,' he pointed towards the glass.

Doing as he was told, Taylor turned his attention towards the mirror. At first he didn't totally get what he was seeing or the fact that it was just his own reflection staring back at him. Then…

'Where are you,' he returned his gaze to a more than frightened looking Drake.

'That's what I keep trying to work out,' he swallowed hard, 'I think one of the experiences I had last night took it from me.'

'What experiences?'

'If I could be sure I'd been asleep I would swear they were nightmares. They certainly shared the one thing in common with all my nightmares.'

'Talma?'

'Yes.'

'What did she do to you?'

'The first was almost normal for one of me, but the second…' Drake hesitated. 'In the second she was my reflection and she spoke to me. At first it was like she was unaware of what was really going on, then she told me… she told me she was being made to do it.'

'Do what?'

'I don't know,' he shrugged, 'frighten me I think. She told me she'd been trapped there since our parents learnt the truth about Kayma. And that there were others trapped like she was. But she wasn't sure who and she wasn't sure how many. She wasn't even sure where she really was, just that she was being controlled by someone who was or is testing.'

'Testing what?'

'Themselves I think.'

Letting out a slow breath, Taylor adverted his gaze and began nodding slowly.

'Did they say anything else,' he kept his tone as level as possible, 'like was anyone else experiencing living nightmares?'

'She seemed to hint they were,' Drake sighed. 'But she wouldn't go into any real detail. She just begged me to help her and the others.'

'And are you going to?'

'How can I not. Especially now…' he indicated towards the mirror, 'I need my reflection back.'

'Yeah…' Taylor could hear the tone in his own voice. 'I mean, yeah,' he corrected himself, 'and I'll help you.'

'You will?'

'I think whoever went after you is also coming after me,' he took a covertly strange breath in. 'I was having an all too real nightmare last night that I don't plan on seeing the end of it anytime soon. Not if it means,' he indicated towards the mirror.

'Do you think whoever's doing it is trying to steal our reflections?'

'I don't know,' Taylor pulled a face, 'but right now that's about the only thing we have to go on.'

'Right,' Drake nodded slowly, his eyes drifting back up to the mirror. 'Do you think we should check on Ara?'

'Yeah, but let's keep this no reflection thing to ourselves for now; there's no need to frighten everyone with it until we know for sure what's going on.'

'You're worried if too many people know it might hurt Talma and the others, aren't you?'

'How did you know?'

'Because I've been thinking the same,' Drake began chewing his lower lip, 'but I knew I couldn't keep it from you.'


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Taking a deep breath in, CiCi waited for her mentor to arrive. For the last five months the nameless girl had been teaching her to better control and understand her demon powers. This not only gave CiCi the confidence to know she wasn't evil, but the reassurance she would eventually be allowed to lead a normal life. Well as normal as anyone else in her family. At first CiCi had been more than a little dubious about the whole thing. After all it appeared too good to be true that someone could teach her how to control such vile powers. But after only a short matter of weeks CiCi had found the confidence, not to mention the control, to touch and even kiss members of her family without fear of hurting them.

In the months which had passed since then CiCi often thought if her training had ended there she would have been perfectly happy. But the nameless girl had other things in mind for her. Things CiCi couldn't have imagined at first, but was now so determined to work towards she didn't care how much her behaviour worried her family.

'So did you perfect what I was showing you yesterday or do you need another day or two to work on it,' the girl greeted CiCi in her usually calm manner.

'Watch.'

CiCi held her arms apart, with the fingers on each hand spread and pointing upwards. She then concentrated on the tree directly in front of her. For a few moments nothing happened, then, in the blink of an eye, a glow of red sparked out of CiCi's hands, zoomed towards the tree and surrounded the whole thing in a burning red force field. Almost as soon as she'd done it, CiCi had clapped her hands together and dissipated the field.

'Good,' the girl nodded causally, 'very good. Although you could have left it there a little longer without hurting the tree you know.'

'I don't want to chance it,' she half glanced in the direction of the Kaiba mansion, 'not until you tell me how to make it safe.'

'Always concerned with not hurting things,' the other girl sighed, before flicking some of her black hair back over her shoulder, 'you really don't want to be demonic, do you?'

'Of course not, who would?'

'I would,' the other girl positioned herself between CiCi and the tree. 'I mean, I am demonic, didn't you realise that?'

'I didn't want to think about it,' CiCi shifted her gaze away. 'You've always been so nice to me.'

'I wanted to help your parents kidnap you,' she shook her head. 'The only reason I agreed to help you like this is I fear what will happen to me if I don't.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean it's finally time you knew my name; it's Hickarama.'

Swallowing hard CiCi took a step backwards. Kaiba had told her all about the tribal leaders a few months ago, in one of his _everything's strange with the world right now _rants. So she was more than aware of Hickarama and her place in hell.

'So you mean you've been teaching me to be evil,' CiCi could hear the hurt in her voice.

'I only wish that were the case,' Hickarama laughed. 'I only wish I could teach you to be evil; especially now I know you're more than worth the trouble. But she won't let me. And if I were to even try it…' she shuddered. 'Oh no, you're destined to be good and I can't interfere with that.'

'Then why are you telling me who you really are?'

'Maybe I'm a little tired of you thinking of me as being the all mighty. Or maybe you need to understand evil isn't a bad thing in order to be able to make your force field none deadly.'

'What do you mean?'

'You are not driven by the will to hurt things or at least you try not to be, but your power comes from an evil place. There is a great deal of darkness in you CiCi and if you truly want to pacify your powers you must make peace with that.'

'How can I when… when it would make me no better than my parents.'

'She wanted to be the one to talk you through this, since she knows a lot more about it than I do,' Hickarama sighed and turned her gaze away. 'And if it were up to me I would let her be the one to teach you how to come to terms with your inner demons. But apparently nobody respects my position enough to just let me get on with things in my own way anymore.'

'What do you mean?'

'I only ever thought I had to fear her and that was why I had to help you. But it turns out there's someone else out there who could do things I don't even want to think about and I have to fear him too. I'm the leader of my tribe, I shouldn't fear anyone and yet these two have me running scared.'

'Why are you telling me this?'

'So that you understand my place in all this. So that you get I'm… I'm just like you, having to betray my own nature for some greater picture. Only you get to do it by choice. I have no choice.'

'Because you fear what will happen if you do not.'

'Fear is the inner demon of everybody. Even demons. There's no escaping that fate. No way round it. It just is.'

'So you're saying I have to learn to deal with my fear of being evil in order to make my powers truly safe.'

'If that's how you want to understand all this, then yes. That's exactly what you must do.'

'But how can I,' CiCi bit her lower lip, 'I don't even want to think about what would happen if I were to give into my inner demon, let alone face it.'

'There is strength in youth,' Hickarama sighed again, 'and you're young enough to be stronger than most. Use that to your advantage.'

'How?'

'Isn't it obvious?'

'I…'

'Come on CiCi, in all the months I've known you, I've learnt one clear thing about you. You're smart enough and strong enough to cope and understand anything that's thrown at you. That's why you didn't run from me when you found out who I was, because those smart parts of your brain knew there was a good reason for me to be here.'

'But what if that's not enough?'

'How can it not be enough?'

'I don't feel like its enough,' she averted her gaze. 'I feel like I'm not strong enough to cope and I'm certainly not smart enough to…'

'Don't ever say that,' Hickarama cut her off. 'You're a lot smarter than anyone will ever give you credit for. That's your greatest advantage in all this; your power to understand the world around you and yourself. Never forget that.'

'But what if you're wrong? What if…'

'Don't doubt yourself. Doubt is the first step in giving into your fears. Just believe that I, who would do anything in the world to make you evil, know with absolute certainty you're strong enough to remain good. You just have to face your fears first. And then… then no evil will ever be able to touch you again.'


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

After Kashmana reported only two of their trainees showing up for weapons practice, she decided it was in everyone's best interest if she tracked the others down. Since most of the missing participants were Lutonis she figured it was best she started there. Almost as soon as she arrived she sensed something not quite right about the place. There was a strange feeling of guilt and sorrow in the air which breezed in from all directions. Instantly everything in her rose with striking suspicion; she'd known with such certainty something had been wrong the night before, why didn't she follow her instincts to find out what it was?

Gritting her teeth so tightly together her jaw ached from the pressure, she made her way down along the corridors of the Southern Palace towards where the strongest feeling of pain was emanating. Before she managed to reach its source, however, Jo appeared to block her path.

'Didn't you see what happened?'

'What,' she frowned at Jo.

'Last night, didn't you see what happened to Ara?'

'I sensed something was wrong,' she shook her head slowly, 'but it's harder for me to see events from the reality I'm in.'

'Is that because Writers watch other realities and not their own?'

'Err… right,' she shifted her gaze away, '_that's_ the reason and since I'm currently in this Realm…'

'This is why you asked me to help you, isn't it? Why you wanted me to be a Writer, because I can see my own reality.'

'I could never have pressed you into a task you didn't want though,' she tried to remain calm, 'and right now you're vision is not so clear anyway.'

'So I keep being reminded.'

'I'm sorry,' she gave an edgy cough, 'but what happened here last night anyway?'

'Crovell will tell you some force attacked Ara and caused a tare in the outer lining of his womb,' she sighed. 'Arados will tell you it was his fault because of the vision he saw.'

'What vision?'

'Some kind of waking nightmare,' Jo shrugged. 'Whatever it was it scared him badly enough to believe he would hurt his own child.'

'And what about you,' she chewed her lower lip thoughtfully, 'what do you think?'

'I think some force showed Ara that vision; I think they're both right.'

'Have you told them that?'

'Neither one will listen to reason right now. They're both so hung up on their own convictions nothing else seems to matter anymore.'

'I see,' she turned away from Jo, trying to work out an explanation to it all which didn't match with the one her gut was screaming at her. 'Can I try talking to them both? See what it is that holds them so fiercely to their convictions.'

'You're more than welcome to try,' Jo invited, 'but I doubt you'll make anymore sense of it then the rest of us have.'

'I have knowledge you don't,' she flicked her gaze up to meet with Jo's. 'I'm just praying with everything in me that knowledge isn't needed here.'

* * *

><p>'This is hardly a fair fight you know,' False rolled his eyes, after she'd once again managed to pin him to the ground, 'you have advantages I don't.'<p>

'What advantages?'

'Err… calling all MacTay blood.'

'That's hardly an advantage,' Kisara narrowed her gaze, as she backed herself away from him, 'that's just an annoyance of birth.'

'Well that annoyance of birth has made you a natural expert in absolutely every kind of weapon imaginable; that's an advantage as far as I'm concerned.'

'And the fact you can manifest the devil's weapons is not?'

'Please, you'll always have the advantage over me, because you can use those weapons just as well as I can.'

'Only if I manage to take them off you.'

'Which you always do manage somehow,' False folded his arms. 'You're a natural born warrior and I'm just the son of the devil.'

'You talk like it too,' Kashmana began rubbing his temples in an almost exhausted manner. 'I think that bastard believes he can talk people to death sometimes, the way he goes on and on and on…'

'He just likes the sound of his own voice,' False rolled his eyes.

'And so do you.'

'Not really,' he shook his head.

'Then why do you try playing such clever tricks with words?'

'I'm not…!'

'You do it without realising it,' Kashmana cut him off, 'and that just makes it all the worse. At least if you learnt how to control what you do you'd be able to use it to your advantage, but you don't.'

'And what do I do exactly?'

'Talk like your father,' he repeated. 'In the same tone and manner that he uses when he's trying to…' he stopped himself.

'Trying to what,' False frowned.

'It doesn't matter,' he waved a dismissive hand, 'that's something you need to discover yourself I guess.'

'No, tell me.'

'Your father's voice gives me the exact same headache, did you know that,' Kashmana met his gaze with a serious look. 'The kind of headache which makes me wish I could ram my hand down his throat and rip out his voice box; because there's only so much of that damn hidden tone I can take.'

'Hidden tone,' now it was Kisara's turn to give him a funny look.

'Most people can't hear it; only true members of this clan for some reason,' he shrugged, 'which means just me, my father, uncle and brothers. Why we're the lucky ones I'll never know, because it doesn't grant us immunity from it, just gives us a really annoying headache.'

'Immunity from what exactly?'

'They always say the devil has a silvery tongue. That he's always trying to trick the good into doing evil deeds with the twist of it.'

'Wait, what are you saying,' False shot with alarm, 'I'm not trying to trick anybody.'

'That doesn't mean you don't have that tone in your voice,' Kashmana again rubbed his temples. 'Why do you think I normally avoid talking to you?'

'I just figured you disliked me because of my father,' he shrugged.

'And that thought didn't bother you?'

'Of course it bothered me, it just…' he gave a strange sounding sigh. 'I guess I just expect it from people now.'

'Oh don't do that,' Kashmana half placed his hands over his ears.

'Do what?'

'Manipulate the tone to try and convince me.'

'What?'

'Just stop talking False, I can't take it anymore.'

'I…'

'False just leave it,' Kisara cut him off. 'We should just get back to training and we don't need to talk in order to be able to do that.'

False clearly went to say something, then instead sighed, shrugged and readied himself for another sparring session. It was pretty obvious he saw no point in arguing any further.

'Ah silence,' Kashmana sighed in relief, 'there's no sweeter sound.'


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Cautiously Taylor knocked on the door to his Dad's office. Even though he and Drake had agreed not to get anyone else involved, at least not for now, they still needed some information to help them figure out what it was they were dealing with, if nothing else. When he got no reply from within, he carefully pushed the door open to glance around the empty office. It was unusual for his Dad not to be working in there already, but that didn't mean Taylor was going to ignore the opportunity to get the information he needed without any fuss.

Soundlessly he made his way into the office. He didn't know what he was looking for exactly, but he'd always believed in what his Dad had said about being led towards the right answer. Whatever it was in there that would help them would call out to him and he'd know it. As he entered nothing appeared to jump out at him at all. Instead everything felt strangely dim, as though it was deliberately trying to duck below the realms of detection.

Sighing in disappointment Taylor turned to leave. Just as he did, however, something from a nearby shelf almost threw itself at him. After reeling in bewilderment for a few moments, he quickly snatched up the book and made his way back up to where he'd left Drake. Once inside his room he spotted the younger boy staring glumly at the place his reflection should be. Clearly he was a lot more upset by things than he was willing to let on. Not that Taylor was really surprised; if someone had taken his reflection after trying to scare him half to death…

He shuddered, as vivid memories of his own dream rose strangely up into his mind. Someone had tried to do the same thing to him, only they hadn't succeeded.

'Ara looked so scared, didn't he,' Drake didn't bother to turn round to face Taylor. 'He barely said two words the whole time we were there. Do you think…?'

'That's why we came back sooner than we planned, remember,' Taylor threw the book down onto the bed, 'to find out.'

'Everybody looked so worried,' his face crinkled slightly, as he turned to face Taylor. 'Whatever this thing is, it can do a hell of a lot more than scare people and take their reflections.'

'I know,' Taylor bit his lip nervously, 'I just don't understand why anyone would want to hurt Ara or his baby.'

'Maybe they don't approve.'

'Of what?'

'Of Ara's baby,' Drake turned his gaze back towards the mirror, 'maybe they think there's enough unnatural activity amongst our small group and wanna take away part of it.'

'That's not exactly fair on Ara.'

'Who said this was meant to be fair on any of us.'

'Well isn't the fact this is happening to more than just Ara proof that it's not just about him? I mean…' Taylor indicated towards the mirror, causing Drake to shudder strangely.

'But what if the rest of it is just a way of controlling us, so that we will… I don't know; take Ara's baby from him or something.'

'You really think this is all about Arados after what you went through?'

'I don't know,' Drake's lower lip wobbled, 'I didn't until I saw him.'

'Then pretend you haven't seen him for a while and lets just concentrate on you for now.'

'I'm not sure I can do that,' he sighed, 'I just can't stop thinking about Ara.'

'Well try,' Taylor gently pulled him into a hug, 'because we're never going to figure any of this thing out unless you do.'

'Okay,' he sighed, after a few moments of silence.

'You want to get cracking with this book then?'

'Sure,' Drake nodded, 'do you even know what it's about?'

'Not a clue,' Taylor grinned stupidly at him, 'but it was the only one willing to let me read it, so I thought, why not.'

'Okay,' he flicked him a strange look, before pulling the book closer to him and opening it.

'Wow,' Taylor's fingers gently moved over the markings on the first page, 'have you ever seen anything like that before?'

'It looks like it's trying to be Ode,' Drake frowned, 'only it's definitely not.'

'What do you think it is?'

'I don't know; maybe they are Ode symbols, just ones we've not come across before.'

'But we've come across all of them before, haven't we?'

'I thought we had until I saw this. But they could just be discontinued symbols or the original shapes to them.'

'Original shapes?'

'My Mum once told me the Chaosen used their own type of Ode, almost identical to the one we have now in form and structure, but certain things were represented by slightly different symbols. This could be that.'

'But that would make this text really, really old, wouldn't it?'

'Not necessarily,' he pulled a face, 'someone could just be trying to make it seem that way.'

'Well the rest of it's been translated into English,' Taylor told him, after flipping the page over to check, 'so we should be alright.'

'So then where do we start,' Drake studied him for a moment, 'do we even know what we're looking for?'

'Well let's start with dreams,' Taylor smirked, as he ran his finger down along the index, 'since we've both had what constitutes as one.'

'Technically I've had at least two.'

'Exactly, perfect place to start,' after getting a page number Taylor quickly thumbed through.

At the top of the page they arrived at was one of the symbols from the opening page. The symbol was almost like that of a sleeping foetus, which half sent shivers running up Taylor's spine as he looked at it. He didn't know what it was about the image exactly, but something about it felt more than a little ominous.

'What do you think it means exactly,' Drake traced his fingers round the edge of the symbol.

'I don't know.'

'Do you think it has anything to do with Ara's baby?'

'Why would it have anything to do with Ara's baby,' he frowned.

'Well look at it, you can't tell me that it doesn't look like…'

'I know what it looks like,' he cut him off, 'but that doesn't mean…'

'Doesn't it?'

'Why would an ancient symbol be specifically related to Ara's baby?'

'Maybe his baby was prophesized.'

'Wouldn't that completely ruin your original theory?'

For a few moments Drake hesitated, then he simply shrugged.

'It doesn't ruin it completely, just adjusts it slightly.'

'For what it's worth Drake, I don't think this symbol has anything to do with any of us. I think it's just a huge coincidence.'

'I didn't think coincidences happened around Gods.'

'I'm not a God though am I?' Taylor shook his head. 'And coincidences do happen around me, just not often and this… this is just one of those rare times.'


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Getting Arados's story out of him had been worse than pulling teeth. Not because it was so difficult to hear, but because it was clearly so painful for him to manage. She probably wouldn't have tried if it wasn't so important she knew exactly what he had seen. After finishing with him, she made her way along the network of corridors to where she sensed Crovell. He was alone and staring moodily out of a window, whilst perched precariously on the windowsill in front of it. For a few moments she just stood in the doorway of the dimly lit little room and watched him. There was an air about him like none she'd ever known before; it was more than sorrow or guilt, it was a dark kind of wondering. As though suddenly all the chaos in his multiverse was making a strange kind of sense he wasn't comfortable with.

Gently she gave a cough to alert him to her presence, before taking a few cautious steps towards him.

'I couldn't get in that room,' Crovell didn't even turn to look at her. 'Not from lack of trying or anything like that. Something was keeping me out. Something powerful was keeping me out.'

'More powerful than you?'

For a few long moments Crovell was silent. Then he turned his gaze away from the window to meet squarely with hers.

'I will not concede you're more powerful than I am yet,' his voice was slow and careful, 'in fact I'm not even sure if you're as powerful as your reputation would have you be. But there is something about you, something which suggests a great deal of power is possible, you're just a lot further away from it than I am and will only reach it after I've peaked. So right now, if I were to face you in a sheer battle of wills, I would win.'

'Why are you so certain?'

'You might be resourceful. You might even be more skilled than I am. But right now you lack something I have.'

'And what's that?'

'I think you already know,' he turned his gaze away from her, 'and that's why I would be able to outdo you in a sheer battle of wills. But that force… that force last night… it was more than either of us could ever hope to be.'

'Did you tell Jo that?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'I didn't tell anybody. Until I heard Arados crying about it being his fault, I didn't even want to acknowledge I knew it. That force was... a lot more powerful than I am, in a truly terrifying way.'

A silence elapsed around them, sticking into her throat like a reel of pins. She knew with a certainty now there was only one person Crovell could be talking about, but she had hoped more than anything all mention of _him_ could be avoided. It was so hard, even with all the evidence mounting up against him, she still didn't want to believe he was a bad person. How could she ever want to believe that?

'I don't understand how something so powerful could exist without anyone knowing about it,' Crovell interrupted her train of thoughts with his own, 'surely someone must have come across this force before. There must be something written about it. Or some rumours the Mistresses have heard.'

'Maybe there are,' she tried to abate him, 'or maybe the force has been good at concealing itself and has become powerful simply because it has been around so long.'

'It's not possible. It can't be possible for a force more powerful than the Mistresses to exist before I was born. Not without people knowing about it.'

'Maybe they're really, really good at concealing their power. Or maybe it didn't exist before you were born.'

'I don't believe that,' he jumped down from the window, his eyes staring at her like giant reflective saucers, 'and I don't think you do either. In fact I think you're certain this force was around before I was born. And what's more I think you know exactly how long this force has existed for.'

'What makes you think that?'

'Because you know everything.'

'You give me too much credit.'

'Do I now?'

'Yes,' she turned her gaze away from him, wishing beyond anything it was Right here and not her, 'nobody can possibly know everything about everything. That just wouldn't make sense.'

'But you don't make sense,' he sounded almost irrational. 'Nothing about you even starts to make sense. Like we still don't even know your name.'

'You don't need to know my name,' she shook her head, 'my name is irrelevant.'

'No its not, that's what doesn't make sense.'

'To you. To me it makes perfect sense.'

'You would say that,' he shook his head. 'You would say anything to justify your reasons for being the way you are. But I think the truth is you're just afraid to let us know anything about you. I think you're afraid of what we'll think of you if you give us any kind of truth.'

'What makes you think that?'

'It's written all over your face every time one of us asks you a question you don't want to answer,' he made his way towards her, each step he took forced her gaze up to meet with his. 'You're afraid of something about yourself. Or maybe you're just afraid of letting anyone see who you really are because you can't get close to people. Because you don't know how to get close to people.'

'I know how to get close to people,' she shook her head, 'I have friends, sis… people I care about.'

'You just don't think any of us are worth getting close to?'

'No,' she pulled herself past him towards the window.

'Then why won't you tell us your name?'

'Because it's not important.'

'Why not?'

For a few minutes she couldn't find any words to answer him with. Instead all she could do was shift uncomfortably.

'You don't trust us, is that it?'

'No,' she shook her head, glancing back towards him in order to meet his gaze, 'it's not that I don't trust you, it's that I'm not sure I know who I am anymore.'

'Really? Are you sure it's not just because we put you on edge?'

'No, it's not that. Why are you making random accusations?'

'Because it seems to be about the only way any of us can know anything about you. And I'm guessing it'll be the only way any of us will get to know anything about this new force threatening us.'

'You can't just assume things.'

'Why not,' he challenged her, 'it gets more of a reaction out of you than asking questions.'

'Fine then, I do know what this new threat is. I know all about it. Everything. Are you happy now?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'not really.'

'Why not?'

'Because you only told me in order to avoid telling me anything about yourself.'

'And that's not good enough for you?'

'And that's not good enough for me,' he folded his arms.

'I have to go now,' she turned herself back towards the window.

'Running away, are we?'

'Something like that, I guess,' she gritted her teeth, as she allowed her body to break into a thousand blue-purple butterflies. 'But I promise you, you'll get the answers you need, when you need them. And not before.'


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

'Talma…'

She couldn't help but bite back the frustration as she heard him calling out to her again. Everyday for as long as she'd been here it had been the same; Nicolie's voice would call out for her, every tone of it twinging with pain and desperation. And everyday she'd run round heedlessly trying to find him without any luck. In the light everything had been so simple. In the light they'd both been happy. Then the insistent pull of a Khined generation had dragged her from her slumber. Made her see the sense of telling a long forgotten story. Then re-trapped her for all eternity in a place where she could never see her beloved again; only hear his pain and long to be near him.

'Talma…'

Searchingly her eyes flicked round the darkness surrounding her. She would find him this time. She would find him so he wouldn't need to call out to her again. She would find him so she could save him from the pain he was in. From the pain they were both in. Focusing on the direction she was certain his voice was coming from she began running. She wouldn't be fooled this time. She wouldn't be tricked or manipulated. She would find him. She had to.

* * *

><p>Drake couldn't help it. The lure of the reflectionless pane kept drawing his gaze. It was as though something in him was hoping to eventually catch sight of his own reflection. That he would suddenly appear in full view in the glass. But every time he was just left feeling more than disappointed. Sighing heavily he turned his gaze back towards Taylor. Taylor was completely engrossed by the book he'd found. Unfortunately for Drake most of what was written had simply gone right over his head, making the constant lure of the glass more than obsessive.<p>

'You hungry,' he half expected Taylor not to make any kind of reply.

'Are you,' Taylor lifted his gaze to meet with Drake's, surprising him slightly as he did.

'A little I guess,' he admitted. 'Should I go get us both something?'

'Yeah,' he smiled, 'if you wouldn't mind. Grab a few things, there's always snacks in this house thanks to Parto's insatiable appetite; we could have a midday midnight feast.'

'Alright,' Drake nodded.

Getting up from the bed he made his way towards the door. The lure of the mirror once again caught him and he couldn't help but flick his gaze towards it before he left.

'We'll get it back,' Taylor assured him, 'I promise.'

Nodding, Drake simply turned and left. He knew Taylor would do everything he could do to return his reflection to him, but Drake couldn't help but feel like it was a hopeless cause. With a kind of heaviness about him, he made his way down the flight of stairs towards the entrance hall. This place was all but a home to him now and he just wished he was living here properly again. Because if he was he wouldn't have to deal with the impossible SK every day. And then maybe none of this would have happened; he turned his gaze towards one of the hall mirrors.

For a few seconds his expectations of seeing nothing reflected back made it impossible for him to register something was. Once it did register it took him more than a few minutes to work out who it was. Hurrying towards it, keeping his eyes on the reflected image in case it disappeared again; he tried to suppress all the feelings rising through him. He had to be calm. No matter what else he was thinking he had to be calm. He had to get more sense out of this.

'Lilly,' he whispered once he was close to the glass. 'You are Lilly, right? Talma's cousin.'

'That's right,' her voice was as hushed as his was.

'Do you know where you are?'

'No,' she shook her head, 'I'm not even sure how I got here.'

'Nor do I,' Drake lifted one of his hands to the glass, forcing her to do the same. 'But I know you're not alone in there. I've seen Talma.'

'What… what's going on,' Lilly moved her head to look at her hand and Drake was forced to mimic. 'Why are we copying each other?'

'Don't you know,' his voice started to sound almost panicked now. 'Talma seemed to understand that much at least.'

'All I know is that I've been in the darkness,' she shook her head and Drake copied.

'Could you sense the others?'

'Others?'

'Talma said she could sense there were others in there with her, she just didn't know who.'

'I don't… don't know,' her face creased with distress, 'I've just been feeling so alone.'

'You don't like that, do you?'

'What?'

'Feeling so alone, it frightens you.'

'Of course it frightens me. It would frighten you too,' she placed her other hand against the glass and Drake mimicked. 'Everyone around me seems to die, my brothers, my sister, my parents… I know it was kind of all my husband's fault, but I don't understand why he would take everything away from me like this.'

'You think your husband is behind this,' Drake couldn't help but frown.

'No,' she shook her head. 'No, I don't think he is. I mean, we made it into the Light together and it was… Oh it was wonderful. And then I left him behind in the Light because I had to tell that… that wretched story.'

'Do you think he was angry about it? That he's punishing you for leaving him?'

'Oh gods no,' she shook her head, 'you don't understand my husband at all if you think that. I know he's been responsible for some pretty awful things, but that was when he was younger. When he was being controlled. I know he's good at heart. I know he loves me above anything in the world.'

'Are you sure?'

'Only those connected to people living now could make it back out of the Light to tell the story and my husband can't possibly have anything to do with anyone living now. So he can't have anything to do with any of this, which just makes me feel even more alone.'

'I understand,' instinctively he placed a hand to his own cheek, moved it under his chin, then back to his cheek, knowing her reflection would copy the soothing action. 'I promised Talma I'd help you all find a way out of there and I'm going to promise you the same. You don't have to be alone anymore.'

'Thank you,' she smiled at him, before glancing edgily around. 'I feel like I have to go now. I don't want to go; I can't stand the darkness anymore.'

'I don't want you to go either,' he bit his lip nervously, 'once you go I'll lose any kind of reflection again.'

'I don't think I have a choice,' her voice filled with distress. 'If only I knew how I got here, then I could find my way back.'

'I'm sorry,' his own voice began to break slightly.

'How is any of this your fault,' she placed both her hands to the glass, under his.

'I don't want you to go,' he felt helpless.

'You have no choice,' she slowly began to disappear. 'Not the darkness please,' she lifted her head in despair. 'Anything but that…'


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

She wasn't quite sure which got her moving faster; her reluctance to answer any of Crovell's questions or her need to confront _him_. She'd have like to have told herself it was in the best interests of the others she got herself out of there and on this search so quickly, but somehow that would have felt like a lie. She didn't know quite where he would be or how she was going to find him, but Giya always felt like a good place to start. Ever since she'd first met him she always had to come back to this point in order to find him.

Deep down she remembered she'd liked him once. Trusted him completely without a doubt in her mind. During that time she would have done anything for his praise, especially if it was her praise alone and not one she'd had to share with her Sisters. But everything which had happened to Right had shaken her confidence in him and as the years had passed since then her doubts had just continued to eat at her. No matter how hard she tried or how much she hated the way her own doubts ate at her, she just couldn't be like Centre and trust him instinctively.

Gritting her teeth she remembered her confrontation with him the night before. It had been so typical of all the ways he'd treated all three of them as children. He'd never had any conscience about using his powers against them. Powers he wasn't supposed to have, but made him who he was. As a child she'd been in awe of them. They all had been. And when Right had been the first to even come close to his level she had seethed with secret jealousy. It had made her determined she would catch up to her sister and prove she was just as good as she was. But she hadn't known then just how bad too much power too soon could be to a person and by the time she realised, it was too late for her. Since then she'd been living in fear of heading down the same road Right had strayed down. She couldn't… wouldn't allow herself to turn out that way and if that meant taking the catch up game a little slower then so be it.

As she continued to walk along she was hit by a strange, nauseating wave of dizziness. She knew exactly what it meant, even before the landscape changed around her. It always hit her much worse now she knew what it was. She'd never understood why, even when her mind fought to give it sense. Stopping in her tracks, she watched as the world around her fazed over with the image of her old school playground. This was where she'd first met him. She hadn't known then she wasn't the only one he was after, but she had believed him implicitly when he'd told her she was special… important.

A sudden blast of heat ignited the buildings surrounding her. Everything then became half distorted by the fire. It was like being in a game's representation of hell or the fire planes. Everything was hot and charring, but nothing was completely destroyed. As she breathed in the hot air, cracks began to run their course through the ground below her, breaking open into fiery pits. Each crack shot its way towards her, forcing her to jump, flip and dive her way across the playground in search of safe ground. Eventually she found herself atop the thick stone banister like wall which lay to the right of the steps running between the two levels of the playground. From this perch she began searching for him.

She knew he had to be there; he wouldn't be able to help himself as long as she was involved. It was like a sick little game they played together. She knew he played it with her Sisters too, but never at the same time. It was his way of keeping them in line. Proving to them they were nothing more than puppets dancing to the strings he pulled. Her gaze narrowed in on a shadow amid the burning buildings along the lower playground. That had to be him. But before she could do anything about it the whole lining of her stomach began to burn with pain.

Looking down was like seeing into her worst nightmare. Hysteria rose inside of her like an erupting volcano and the outcome was inevitable.

* * *

><p>Almost as soon as she started screaming Kashmana had placed a hand on each of her shoulders and was more than a little violent in shaking her from whatever trance she was in. Behind him False was feeling more than a little perplexed. He knew there was a lot about the Power Limitless girl they didn't know, but this felt… He wasn't sure how it felt exactly. Just that it was frightening to see her so easily brought to the state of hysteria over nothing. At least he thought it was nothing. There was nothing he could see at least, except for the overflowing bareness of Giya lying all around them.<p>

'For crying out loud little bit,' Kashmana suddenly slapped her hard, 'get a hold of yourself. It's not real.'

At that her whole body shivered and jerkily snap out of something. She then blinked strangely up at Kashmana as though he were the last person in the multiverse she'd expected to see.

'What are you doing here,' she stared, 'shouldn't you be training them?'

'I kind of got bored only having two students,' he shrugged. 'I figured it would be nice to find out from you what had happened to the rest of them.'

'You mean rather than finding out from the rest of them what had happened to the rest of them?'

'Exactly,' he smirked, 'because that would have been far too easy.'

'And you can never do anything the easy way, right,' her natural colour slowly returned, along with a small amount of her normal confidence. 'See this is why I don't get you Kash.'

'Come on,' he rolled his eyes, 'it's not like you ever do things the easy way. Why else would you be looking for the others in Giya when they're clearly still at their various homes?'

'I wasn't looking for the others,' she shook her head, 'I was looking for _him_.'

'Why?'

'I was right last night Kash; there really was something in the air.'

'You mean he was up to something?'

'Yes.'

'He who,' Kisara frowned, clearly more than a little confused. 'Are we talking about someone specific here or…?'

'This isn't to do with my father, is it,' False added nervously, not exactly sure how many other _hims_ there could be.

'I think it would make everyone's lives so much easier if it was your father I was referring to,' the Power Limitless girl shook her head. 'Unfortunately for us though, life's not so kind.'

'I don't understand; who else is there?'

For a few long moments the question was answered by silence. Then she took a deep breath inwards and met his gaze as solidly as she could.

'Jack.'

'What,' False frowned at her.

'Jack,' she repeated.

'Jack who,' Kisara frowned clearly more confused than ever.

'You don't need to know,' the other girl shook her head. 'That he's called Jack is more than enough.'

'I don't understand.'

'And I'm not about to stand around and let you understand. I've got to find him,' she turned to leave.

'Oh I don't think so little bit,' Kashmana grabbed hold of her. 'You can't handle this alone right now.'

'You're not coming with me Kash,' she glared at him, 'so you can let go right now.'

'No,' he shook his head, 'and I think you'll find its all three of us coming with you, whether you like it or not.'

'Kash…'

'I'm serious little bit,' his expression hardened. 'I don't ever want to see you that frightened again. We're coming with and there's nothing you can do about it.'


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Arados was still feeling more than unsettled. He didn't want to believe himself capable of hurting his child, but everything in him cringed at the memory of the vision he'd had. Whether he'd been the culprit or just the one to discover it, it didn't matter. Something awful was going to happen to his baby and he just had to find a way of stopping it. Dully he pushed his half eaten breakfast around his plate. He couldn't say he wasn't hungry, he was. He just couldn't bring himself to eat anything. How could he when he was feeling so miserable about everything. Eating would take an effort he didn't have.

For a moment he closed his eyes and turned away from the plate. Unfortunately a moment was all that was needed. The instant he opened his eyes again he found himself transported out of the safety of his bedroom and back into the distorted corridor of his nightmarish vision. Scrambling to his feet, his whole body broke in fearful disgust to discover he was no longer pregnant. His hands, however, where empty this time and there was yet to be a single broken cry to pierce the air.

Praying with everything in him this was a good thing, he slowly made his way through the distorted corridors. He wasn't totally sure where he was going, he just knew he had to find his baby and hope this time that she wasn't… He bit back the thought. He couldn't stand the idea of it. He didn't want to stand the idea of it. He just had to find her. In his panicked state the night before he hadn't really paid much attention to his surroundings. But now his search was more inquisitive, he couldn't help but notice how out of place everything around him looked. How out of place, yet strangely familiar.

He knew where he was. Almost to the point of being able to taste the name of the place, yet it continually escaped him. There was just something about the way it was distorted which made it… He wasn't sure exactly. It was just… oddly familiar. For a moment he allowed himself to stop by one of the darkened mirrors. He wasn't totally sure why the thing was too dull to reflect anything, but the thought almost lulled him. Carefully he tried wiping it with the sleeve of his shirt. It didn't make any difference to the glass, ruling out the possibility of dust or dirt. Not that the mirror appeared to be covered with either, he just had to try.

Sighing heavily he turned away from it and was about to continue with his search when something flickered in the corner of his vision. Instantly he brought his gaze back to the mirror. It still reflected nothing, but there was more to this nothing now. As if the mirror wasn't a mirror at all, but a window. His eyes began to study it searchingly, hoping… praying he'd find some answers. But it remained dully lifeless and eventually boredom bid him to continue with his search.

Almost as soon as he started moving away from the mirror whispering voices hit his ears. They were too muffled and hushed for him to make out a word they were saying and they were too distorted for him to tell what direction they came from. But they were definitely there. And they were definitely real.

'Hello,' he spoke out for the first time, his voice sounding dry and strange even to him. 'Is anybody here?'

Suddenly a translucent girl appeared in the corridor before him. From what he could tell she was wearing a pale blue t-shirt and a pale pink flared skirt. She couldn't have been older then five or six and her gaze was focused towards something on the left wall.

'Hello,' he tried again, as he slowly made his way towards her, 'are you okay?'

The little girl didn't reply, instead she began rocking on her heels. For the first time Arados noticed her feet were dressed in a frilly pair of socks and white trainers. Her build was lean, but showed traces of an athletic inclination in a way which reminded him of pictures he'd seen of himself at about her age.

'Hello,' he took a step towards her, hoping this time to get a response.

'Mayday says I'm not supposed to talk to you,' the girl's voice was almost a breathy whisper and had tones hidden in it which sounded older than she appeared, 'so go away.'

'Why aren't you supposed to talk to me,' he frowned at her.

'Because Mayday says you're not real,' her gaze remaining focused on the wall ahead of her.

'How do you know I'm not real?'

'Because Mayday warned me about you.'

'Why? I'm not here to hurt you.'

'Mayday says you will,' she tried to keep her focus on the wall, but it was clearly becoming too much effort for her now. 'Mayday says that's why you choose to look like that, because you wish to hurt me.'

'But if this Mayday of yours doesn't believe I'm real, then how can I be a threat to you?'

'Unrealms aren't real,' she almost turned towards him, 'and they can hurt people.'

'You think I'm an Unrealm?'

'I know that you're not real and that you'll hurt me if given the chance. So I'm not going to give you the chance.'

'Then why are you even talking to me,' he couldn't help but feel more than a little hurt.

'Because you spoke to me first,' she pressed her lips together, 'and you'd just keep trying to talk to me until I responded. So I responded only to tell you to go away. I don't want to talk to you.'

'But I want to talk to you.'

'Mayday said you would.'

'Who is this Mayday,' Arados frowned, 'and why do they think they know so much?'

'He doesn't think he knows, he does know,' finally her gaze flicked towards him, 'and if you really where who you were pretending to be then you would know who Mayday was.'

'What makes you think that?'

'Because you're pretending to be Mayday,' she sounded impatient now, 'now go away.'

She turned and began walking in the opposite direction to him. She didn't get very far, however, when the whole building began to shake. For a moment Arados was too stunned to work out what was happening and by the time he spotted the collapsing ceiling it was too late.

'Princess,' some instinct made him call out to her, hoping to warn her in time.

But she just ignored him, leaving Arados with little more he could do than watch the roof collapse down upon her and listen to her screams of pain as she was slowly crushed to death. A few pieces of rubble fell right through him, but he barely noticed them. He couldn't notice anything but the tomb of rubble trapping the little girl. The little girl that he was now certain was his daughter.

'No,' he wailed, as his hands gripped around his empty stomach, 'stop doing this. Stop killing her.'

But his cries were met only by silence and in the blink of a tear filled eye he found himself once again in his room, staring at the meal he couldn't eat.

'No,' he sobbed, his hands gripping tightly around his bump. 'No.'


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Kisara was worried about False. He hadn't said anything in a little while, but the pained look on his face clearly showed he had something he wanted… or needed to say. The pair of them had not been allowed to join the Power Limitless in her search. Kashmana had, but barely, leaving them with the strict instruction to continue with the weapon training until he got back. Being left behind had annoyed Kisara as much as it had annoyed False, but it wasn't that annoyance keeping him silent now or at least Kisara didn't believe so.

'You're never going to beat me, unless you concentrate on what we're doing,' she chided, hoping to get him to open up.

'I'm never going to beat you anyway,' he shrugged, 'so what's the point?'

'The point is you might eventually get to beat me, if you ever bother to concentrate.'

'And most MacTays boast it's impossible to beat them.'

'Well I'm not most MacTays; in fact I'm barely a MacTay at all.'

'I'm not going to buy that line for much longer you know,' he scowled at her. 'Not with the way you fight and improve. You're a MacTay in that way at least, even if you have better morals than the rest of them.'

'The improvement in my weapon control might have as much to do with me being Power Limitless as it does with me being a MacTay, is there really any need to be so discriminative.'

For a moment he glared at her, then turned his head moodily away. Now more than ever Kisara was convinced something was bothering him, she just wished she knew what.

'A Vii Sen can be destroyed by the turmoil they hold with in themselves,' her voice was soft as she tried not to make the words sound as harsh as they felt.

'Is that your way of asking me what I'm bothered about,' he rolled his eyes, 'because it's not exactly subtle.'

'Who said I had to be subtle when I'm worried,' she shrugged. 'Just because you like to make things harder for yourself, doesn't mean the rest of us have to.'

'I'm not trying to make things harder for myself,' his scowl returned, 'I'm trying to make them easier by forgetting about it.'

'Well you're not doing a very good job at that.'

'How would you know?'

'False I know you well enough by now to know when something won't stop eating at you.'

'Hmm,' his scowl deepened, then he half turned away from her. 'I don't want to tell you, because I don't think it's important.'

'If it bothers you then it is important.'

'It's to do with that Jack she mentioned.'

'You're worried he might hurt someone?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'well… yes, but it's not just that.'

'Then what is it?'

'The fact there's only one person I think it might be.'

'What do you mean,' she couldn't help but frown.

'There was something in the way she said his name… something in the way she made it seem like his last name was unimportant… there was just something about it that made only one person scream into my head. But I don't want it to be them.'

'Why not?'

'Because that would make everything I knew about them a lie. Or rather, make everything they've been accused of true and I don't want that.'

'Why not?'

'Would you want it of one of your heroes?'

'I don't have any heroes False,' she shook her head, 'you know that.'

'Yes, but you know that I do. You know there are certain people I admire above everyone else. And I think the Jack she was talking about is the same Jack I admire, but if it is…'

'What?'

'I don't want to think of him as being a bad person,' his face creased with worry. 'I mean, I've spent so much time idolising him as the original rogue Balancer. The one so misunderstood they have to bring lies against him just to keep him under some kind of control. But what if I'm wrong? What if those so called lies are true? What if he really is a bad guy?'

'He could still be saved,' Kisara knew it was probably the last thing False wanting to hear, but she was unable to come up with anything else. 'Maybe he's not always been like this. Maybe being accused of things he didn't do made him… angry and he's just trying to get some kind of revenge or payback. Or maybe he's not behind anything at all. Or the Power Limitless girl just hates him for some reason.'

'There are just too many possibilities right now,' he gritted his teeth, 'things would be easier if someone bothered to take half of them away.'

'No, what would make it easier is if we knew for sure if this Jack was _the_ Jack,' Kisara sighed. 'Unfortunately that's the one thing we have no means of finding out.'

'It shouldn't be this hard to admire someone,' he turned away from her. 'Heroes should just be heroes, they shouldn't be able to disappoint those who admire them. They shouldn't do things that cause doubt and yet they consistently do. Why?'

'Because to error is human,' she shrugged, 'and no matter what else everyone is, we are all human, so we're all liable to the same faults.'

'Heroes should learn to be less human then,' he half joked, 'that way they'll never make any mistakes.'

'Or they'll make a lot more, because they'll also lose all the good things being human has to offer.'

'Maybe,' he shook his head and sighed. 'But right now I just wish I knew one way or the other what was happening and who was behind it.'

'Then why don't we make a search of our own,' Kisara grinned mischievously at him. 'They never said we couldn't.'

'They never said much of anything after giving us his name, apart from sending us home,' he hesitated. 'Well not home but you know what I mean.'

'I always know what you mean False, I have known you since I was very little.'

'I know,' he smirked slightly, 'but sometimes I half wish you hadn't. That way I'd be able to get away with a lot more.'

'A lot more of what,' she faked confusion.

'Wooing maybe,' he mimicked her faked manner with an innocent one of his own, 'or at least chasing.'

'I thought you wanted to take this slowly.'

'I did,' he pulled a face, 'but there are snails moving faster than we are now.'

'Does that mean you finally forgive me,' she swallowed hard.

'I'll let you know after we confirm the identity of this Jack,' his face hardened with a serious expression again. 'Because I can't relax until I know for sure who it is; do you understand?'

'Perfectly,' she nodded.

'Then what are we standing around here for,' he prepared to Jump. 'Let's go.'


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

'We've been going about this all wrong,' Drake's voice broke with a strange kind of excitement as he re-entered the room, his arms ladened down with snacks. 'Or at least I think we've been going about this all wrong.'

'What do you mean,' Taylor frowned feeling both confused and mildly offended by the accusation.

'I saw Lilly.'

'Lillyannu?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'Lilly, as in Lus's Khindel. She became my reflection.'

'What?'

'I saw her, in the mirror, as my reflection.'

'You were dreaming again,' Taylor's frown deepened as he tried to work out if a daydream could become a vivid hallucination.

'I don't think so,' Drake shook his head, dumping the food down on the bed, then rummaging for one of the larger chocolate bars. 'I think she and the others are trapped in some kinda mirror world.'

'But I thought only the second of your nightmares involved Talma's reflection in your mirror.'

'Yeah, that's right.'

'Then this still has to have something to do with dreams,' Taylor couldn't help but pout, 'especially since mine had nothing to do with mirrors.'

For a few minutes Drake appeared to mentally argue this point in his own head, then he opened the bar he was holding and took a bite.

'Well okay then it has something to do with both,' Drake relented, 'or it at least has something to do with something that connects the two of them.'

'Like what?'

'I don't know, shouldn't you be the one trying to work that out?'

'I don't…'

'Lilly said she couldn't sense anyone else,' Drake cut him off before Taylor could say what he wanted. 'She said she felt completely alone and that frightened her.' He took another bite of his chocolate bar. 'And last night Talma said she could sense there were others, but she couldn't find them, I got the feeling that upset her a little. So I was thinking maybe the Mirror World is some kinda nightmare itself and that's why they can appear to people in dreams.'

'If you'd already thought about it, then why did you expect me to work it out?'

'I don't know,' he shrugged, 'I guess I must take after Mum more than I realise.'

'Hmm,' Taylor narrowed his gaze on him slightly. 'So what do we do now exactly? Keep looking up dreams or switch to mirrors?'

'I think we need to look at both,' Drake continued munching on the chocolate, 'find out if there's even any kind of a connection between them.'

'And if there isn't?'

'Then we might have just found one,' Drake grinned at him, 'think we could become famous for that?'

* * *

><p>Sighing heavily, Jo rested her head on her arms and gazed out across the garden. She didn't often use the balconies for reflective thinking like this, but she didn't really feel like she had anywhere else to go. Her mind for once was restfully still and the warmth of the sun on her back caused her eyes to gently flicker shut. Almost as soon as they did the air around her turned cold. Opening them again she stared around in confusion at the darkened landscape which met her eyes.<p>

Everything around her appeared to be falling apart. The air was a noxious grey colour and almost visibly swirled around her. As she got to her feet she realised the balcony she still stood on was amongst a very small portion of the Southern Palace which still remained standing. The rest billowed dust from a recent collapse and threatened to bring down the remainder of it.

'I was beginning to wonder if it would ever be my turn,' an almost cocky sounding little voice piped from nearby.

Turning in the direction of it she spotted a small boy of about seven or eight, dressed in a miniature version of the outfit Jay was always described as wearing. His eyes were a similar dark brown to Crovell's, but his hair had the same glossy blondes only she had inherited, leaving Jo with no doubts in her mind as to who this child might be.

'What do you mean your turn,' she remained calm. 'Does this have something to do with what happened to Arados?'

'I'd like to say a definitive yes,' the little boy smirked, 'but unfortunately my connection isn't as direct as all that. I'm here by a matter of clever trickery, because I know the silly bit trying to control this doesn't have a clue how.'

'They managed to get to Arados though.'

'No,' he shook his head, 'that was someone else. Someone who has much better control than the one trying to do this. In a kind of indirect fortune for me he has no business with you, which meant I could trick his little protégée easily enough.'

'I'm going to have to keep an eye on you, aren't I,' Jo shook her head in amusement, 'you're already taking after your father.'

'With great power comes great arrogance,' the little boy laughed. 'You haven't even met me yet and I already know that from you.'

'This place,' Jo indicated around them, changing the subject as she did, 'why does it look like this?'

'Because these techniques can only be used together and can only produce the simulation of a nightmare. The better you are at controlling that nightmare the more damage it can do.'

'What techniques?'

'Masteries.'

'Masteries?' Jo was feeling more than a little confused now and again wished her power of insight would return.

'Masteries are skills you can only learn once everything else has been mastered,' the little boy tilted his head thoughtfully. 'There are eight of them in total, but there are only three anybody ever seems to want. Master of Dreams, Master of Fears and Master of Souls.'

'Why those three?'

'I can't tell you everything,' he laughed again, 'where would the fun be in that?'

'Well can you at least tell me what the other five are,' Jo studied him for a moment, 'just so I have some idea why they're less desirable.'

'Master of Falls, Master of Imagery, Master of Time, Master of Memory and Master of Visionary.'

'I see…'

'You have to master all eight if you expect to be able to keep any of them,' the boy tilted his head back the other way. 'If you don't master all eight, then every time a new power is born you lose the ones you have mastered.'

'Have many people mastered all eight?'

'You have to be around for a very long time or have incredible skill and persistence to be able to.'

'How long would someone need to be around for, if they didn't have the skill and persistence I mean?'

'Really mother,' he folded his arms and shook his head, 'you need to work some of these things out for yourself.'

'But…'

'I have to go now,' his gaze turned strange and almost fearful. 'The bit's worked out she's not controlling me and is trying to close this down.'

'You'll be okay, won't you,' Jo felt more than a little anxious.

'I'll be fine,' he smiled weakly at her, 'I'll be back where I belong.'


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Yugi had been in their room all morning, or at least he had as far as Téa could tell. At first she hadn't worried too much about it. After all, it wasn't completely unusual for him to take some time out for himself in order to readdress the emotional imbalance caused by his empathic abilities. But he'd never allowed that to infringe on his fatherly responsibilities before. And since this was just as much his chance to experience a natural pregnancy as it was hers, he'd made sure not to miss a single scan or appointment Téa had to go to, which was why Téa was starting to get worried now.

In less than an hour she was due to have a precautionary scan. It had become apparent very early on that the unnaturally short pregnancy she'd had with Lus had caused problems to arise with her current pregnancy. Although the doctors weren't too worried about her or the baby, they preferred to keep a closer eye on them both. Especially as Téa's due date got closer and closer. Even from the moment she'd found out there were problems Téa had been calm. There was a strange kind of certainty she had about the child she carried and the situation she was in which let her in on this big secret; her baby would be perfectly happy and healthy no matter what.

Her calmness had spread into Yugi, making her glad for once of his empathic abilities. The same abilities which now had him held up away from her. Something which struck her in every way as being strange. Trying to convince herself he'd just forgotten, she gently tapped on their bedroom door, before letting herself in.

'Yugi, we have to go now or we'll miss the appointment.'

Glancing into the room she spotted him sat almost lifelessly on their bed staring at the ground. Nervously she began chewing her lip, hoping her emotions appeared calmer than she felt.

'Yugi, what's happened?'

Slowly he lifted his gaze up to meet hers, before flicking it towards the dressing table. It was then Téa noticed the missing Puzzle.

'Lus…?'

'No,' Yugi cut her off, 'it definitely wasn't him.'

'Then who was it?'

'I don't know,' his voice became strangely pained, 'but I think… I think it might have been the Pharaoh.'

'What…? How…?'

'I don't… I don't think I understand how, but he was here… he was… I don't know. It was like his whole personality had been divided in two. Part of him was angry at me for forgetting about him and the other part wanted to help me. But the angry part was… was stronger,' his voice almost turned into a babble. 'So strong he destroyed this whole room. And then… then…'

'Then what?'

'Everything returned to normal, like it never even happened. Except that… that the Puzzle was gone.'

'Do you really the Pharaoh could have become that powerful?'

'I don't know. Maybe,' Yugi sighed strangely. 'What I do know for sure is that he could become that angry. Or at least he has every right to become that angry. I shouldn't have left him alone for so long. Not when I knew… I knew I should be helping him.'

'You didn't mean to,' Téa forced a weak smile onto her face, 'but so much has been going on and… and I know there was at least a part of you which didn't want to permanently let go.'

'But that didn't give me the right to keep him locked up like that. I promised him…'

'I know,' she cut him off, 'but…'

'I don't think there is any kind of but you can put on this to make it better. He's gone and he's angry at me.'

'You don't think he'll do anything…'

'I don't know,' Yugi shook his head, 'somehow I was hoping that you could tell me.'

'Why would I know the answer?'

'Again I don't know,' he sighed heavily. 'I just…'

'Look there's nothing we can do for now,' she cut him off gently, trying to abate him somehow. 'Maybe we should just go to the scan and pretend like everything is normal. At least for a little while, hm?'

'But things are far from normal right now. Things are just so… messed up, I…'

Before he could finish his sentence, Lus's face appeared round the doorway.

'We're off now Mum; you remember what to say to anyone if they call, right?'

'Of course,' she couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly, Lus had done nothing but badger her about it from the moment he'd informed her of his decision.

'I just don't want them to think I'm being lazy,' his expression tightened, 'Helen needs me right now.'

'I know, I know,' she smiled at him, 'you two just make sure you have fun, okay?'

'Okay,' he grinned back, 'we will. Later,' and with that he left.

'What happened exactly,' Yugi frowned after their son had left.

'Helen had some kind of nightmare last night and Lus thought it would be best if they spent a nice relaxing day together, to help her get over it.'

'What kind of nightmare,' Yugi frowned deepened.

'I don't know exactly,' Téa sighed, 'but I do know it's finally led them to making a decision on a name.'

'They were close to that anyway, weren't they?'

'I guess,' she shrugged. 'They've decided on Niall in case you were wondering.'

'Niall Moto,' Yugi pondered for a moment, 'Amy's first nephew.'

'She's going to make a wonderful aunt for him,' Téa gently rubbed her own bump. 'Aren't you Amy?'

In reply the bump gave a few gentle kicks, which made Téa laugh.

'So intelligent already,' she smiled blissfully, before turning her gaze back up towards Yugi. 'We should be going now.'

'Okay,' he nodded in agreement, before carefully getting to his feet.

For a moment his eyes turned again towards the missing Puzzle.

'We'll work out what to do next when we get back,' Téa assured him. 'But right now we've other things to worry about.'

'I know,' he was clearly reluctant to just leave it, 'but I still feel… responsible somehow.'

'Responsible for what?'

'The anger,' he lowered his gaze. 'I'm the reason he's so angry.'

'I'm sure it's not that simple Yugi,' she assured him. 'There has to be more going on here.'

'What makes you think that?'

'Because with us,' she sighed heavily, 'there's always something more going on.'


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

He was being held in a cold, dark place virtually devoid of features. Or at least that's how it kept feeling to him. In more hallucinogenic moment the room became a flagstone clad lab, like something out of a horror movie and he was clearly able to see the cage he was contained within. In those moments he was also able to see others in the lab with him. Some trapped in their own cages, clearly stuck within a false perception of their reality. Others strapped to tables or caged to walls with various instruments poking into them or strange weaving lines blurring them into another.

Those images made him feel ill. But, more than that, amongst those in the lab were people he recognised from his life in Egypt. The way they were being torture horrified him more than any of the other images he was seeing and sent his blood icy cold.

'I'm sorry,' a small voice whispered from nearby.

It had been doing that a lot since he'd arrived, but the Pharaoh couldn't be sure whether or not it was addressing him. As such he'd so far refused to acknowledge it, in case it turned out to be the person keeping him here. Or worse.

'Pharaoh, why won't you talk to me,' the voice suddenly changed what it was saying. 'Please don't say you're holding a grudge against me; I'm not the same person now. Tracker helped me. He helped me become the good person I truly am. He freed me from the shackles of evil my grandmother bound to me and made me truly sorry for everything I did, all the pain and suffering I caused. And I promise you, Lilly was happy because of me…'

For a few moments the Pharaoh couldn't help but hesitate. He had no idea what the voice was talking about. Something about the sound of it felt familiar now, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

'Pharaoh please, say something…'

'Who are you?'

'What,' the other voice sounded more than a little shocked not to be recognised. 'Don't you know? Am I really that forgettable?'

'It's not that,' he addressed the hurt tones in the other voice, 'there's a lot about my past I still don't remember yet.'

'Then Lilly really did leave me out. She said she would,' the voice sighed. 'She didn't want you entering the Light hating me for what I'd done. I guess I should thank her for that but… when she didn't come back I thought maybe… maybe she'd grown to hate me, so I came looking for her and I ended up here. And until you came I was totally alone.'

'But why not now?'

'They made me pretend I was you… I think.'

'What?'

'The person doing this to us, they made me pretend I was you somehow. I think… I think it connected us together, that's why I'm not alone anymore.'

'It was you before, in the room then?'

'I'm sorry,' the voice apologised again, 'not exactly the best way to make a good impression on you is it?'

'Was what happened your fault?'

'No, I had no control over what I was doing.'

'Then you have no quarrel with me now,' the Pharaoh kept his voice soft and gentle, 'but you could do me the favour of telling me your name.'

'Anubis. My mother named me that because I… I'm a first generation Sudosen. Although she didn't exactly understand that at the time, I was the first one you see and it was Tracker who came up with the name for it after meeting me. She called me Anubis because my father was a Vii Sen and she and my grandmother believed… believed that I was a child of death and therefore an unnatural being.'

'That's awful.'

'Of course it's awful,' Anubis's voice sounded almost pained now. 'If it wasn't then I doubt they would have felt right raising me to do what I did. They made me believe I was… anything but human, just so that they could get what they wanted.'

'And what was it they wanted?'

'The throne of Egypt in the hands of the Tao and the Nima.'

'The Tao and the Nima,' the Pharaoh couldn't help but frown deeply.

'The families of the sorcerers who tried to take your kingdom. It's a long and complicated story if you can't remember it,' Anubis lowered his voice sorrowfully, 'but as I am of both Nima and Tao blood my mother thought… I… I don't want you to get this wrong here; my grandmother was the evil influence. My mother redeemed herself. She's even responsible for the Tracker line continuing. So you… you can't hate her either. She just did what she had to, you have to understand that.'

'Your grandmother was ambitious then?'

'Why else would she have tricked my grandfather into bed in order to bare his child? Or rather a child from him. My mother.'

'It sounds like a troublesome past.'

'It is and I'm sorry for my part in it. I was a child. Barely even fifteen when you died. You have to believe I did what I did without really knowing the cost of what I was doing.'

'I do believe that.'

'You don't even remember what I did,' the tone of his voice suddenly dampened, 'but I think the person who controlled me before does. I think that's why he chose me. Because he was hoping that… maybe somewhere in me still there was… something of that evil past left.'

'What was it you did exactly,' the Pharaoh couldn't help but feel curious now.

'I…' he hesitated. 'I really wish I didn't have to say.'

'Please,' he remained firm, 'it's important that I know.'

'I helped create the circumstances which led to the deaths of four of your children, your half brother, his wife, you and your wife. And all without getting any blood on my hands. Not directly anyway.'

'You mean you never actually killed any of us,' the Pharaoh couldn't help but choke out.

'Like I said, I just created the circumstances within which they occurred.'

For a long couple of minutes the Pharaoh tried to digest what he'd been told. He knew the history of Egypt was filled with untimely deaths and murder in the struggle for power, so in context what Anubis was telling him was perfectly justifiable. What the Pharaoh couldn't get his head round was the fact this had happened to those he knew. Slowly he tried turning round to face Anubis. But no matter how many times he turned he couldn't seem to face him.

'Where are you; I want to see you.'

'To stare into the face of your usurper?'

'To stare into the face of the man who married my youngest daughter,' he shook his head. 'You did do that, didn't you? You married her in order to take the throne.'

'Yes.'

'Then tell me where you are, so I can see you.'

'You can't,' Anubis's voice sounded pained, 'because I'm right behind you.'


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

'Pitch confirmed what you suspected, didn't she,' Kashmana broke the silence.

It was clear from the tone of his voice the question had been lodge in his throat for a lot longer than she'd realised. Coming to an abrupt stop, she gave a more than heavy sigh and shifted her gaze towards him.

'Pitch would never admit she knew to anyone but me,' she tilted her head strangely, 'I think it was a relief to her when she finally admitted what she knew. They used to be close once.'

'I think everybody knew that much about them,' Kashmana rolled his eyes. 'I mean, there were so many rumours about them, but no one suspected they were blood.'

'Well technically they're not. Pitch isn't Jack's blood relation, The Dead Lover is. But they both consider him a brother now.'

'A hated half brother don't you mean?'

'Pitch felt betrayed by him after what he did.'

'What did he do exactly?'

'You know I can't go into that,' she shook her head. 'Not when I'm not entirely sure what the truth is myself and… it's complicated.'

'Because there are three of you.'

Those words made everything in her freeze. He wasn't supposed to know that. How…?

'It wasn't hard to work out little bit, it's not as though the three of you are as similar as he would have everyone believe you are. The reason you don't know the truth about what happened, is because it didn't just happen to you, it happened to them as well and because of that you don't have the full story and don't know what to believe. That just about covers it, right?'

'I just keep thinking back to what she said…' she shifted her gaze away. 'She was supposed to be the strongest of us, the one everyone had decided was most suitable to do the early training and yet… yet she was completely broken by it. And she blamed him. She told both of us to be careful, because he would break us too. But I… I just don't know what to believe…'

'And the other one?'

'She still trusts him implicitly and because of that I have to act like I do too.'

'I'm sorry this situation is so hard for you,' he lowered his gaze, 'I wish there was something I could do to make it easier, but…'

'It's okay, it's not like I need you to do anything for me.' She lowered her head and smirked slightly. 'I only keep you around because you can be useful, sometimes.'

'Only sometimes?'

'Yes and for that I tolerate you.'

'Tolerate?' He mocked insult. 'Sometimes I don't know why I bother with you; you do nothing but resent my greatness.'

'And you love every second of that resentment,' she laughed. 'Admit it, if I acted in any other way you'd find me duller than rock.'

'Are you suggesting I enjoy your verbal abuse?'

'Yes, it's why you prefer me to the other two. You've admitted as much yourself.'

'Well then I must really love Pitch, since she's so much better at it than you.'

'Of course you love Pitch,' she couldn't help but smirk, 'didn't you know you were married with a couple of kids?'

'Ha!'

At that they both started laughing. She always enjoyed the fact they could talk like this and not have to take it seriously. Sometimes everything around her felt too serious for comfort. But not Kashmana, never Kashmana.

'Do you think we'll find him,' Kashmana broke the silence again.

'We will when he wants to be found,' she sighed heavily. 'He can be very illusive when he wants to be.'

'Tell me about it.'

'I thought I just did,' as she spoke as all the hairs on her body suddenly stood on end. 'Do you feel that?'

'Yeah,' Kashmana came to a stop, forcing her to do the same. 'Is it him?'

'It's the after-wave of his powers alright, but whether or not it's him…'

Before she could finish her sentence, a little girl appeared before them. It took her less than half a heartbeat to work out who the girl was and instantly everything in her turned cold.

'Kasey.'

'When the dust is settled, will you make it home,' she half spoke, half sung at them, before disappearing and re-appearing a little further away. 'I can't wait to see you again.'

At that she disappeared completely.

'Why was that kid reminding me of a very young version of you,' Kashmana's voice sounded a little rattled.

'Because Jack's got his claws into her,' she felt completely horrified at the thought.

'No,' Kashmana shook his head, 'he wouldn't. I mean, she's younger than you were.'

'You think that bothers him anymore?'

'But she's nothing more than a baby,' he protested. 'Her parents are frantic about her. Well… parent, I guess we can't totally count SK.'

'She might be a baby Kash, but that didn't stop the Teen from turning her into a Dorsoma weapon. I can't even begin to imagine what powers of his he's getting her to copy.'

'Powers of his?'

'You seem shocked by that Kash,' she swallowed hard, before setting forward again and forcing him to follow suit. 'Dorsoma can copy anything, remember? Even Masteries.'

'But she wouldn't be able to get it perfectly right, because she can't copy the level of control.'

'But that's something she can learn and I'm sure Jack's more than willing to teach her.'

'What makes you so sure?'

'Why do you think he's spent so much time turning the three of us into Power Limitless? He's more than ambitious Kash. And if Right hadn't had her breakdown when she did…'

'She was learning the Masteries,' his face pulled into a strange look. 'Is that what sent her over the edge?'

'I don't know. None of us know for sure. But…' she turned her gaze away, 'I know he wants us to learn them, desperately. It's why he trained us so intensely. Why he wanted us to learn everything directly from him.'

'And now he's found someone that allows him to skip out all the hard parts and just learn the Masteries.'

'Not quite,' she shook her head, 'Kasey will never be able to learn the Masteries, just learn how to control them. At the end of the day what she'll have is the ability to copy the powers, but she'll remain confined to the limitations of Dorsomas.'

'As far as I'm concerned that doesn't exactly make a huge difference,' Kashmana swallowed visibly hard. 'She'll still be using the powers and that's bad enough.'

'An instant Master of the Masteries,' she couldn't help but hold her breath. 'Just what he always wanted.'


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Arados felt less shaken after this vision than after the first. There was something about it which made him feel as though he could change the outcome of the event somehow and he was determined to do just that. It was why he'd gone against his doctor's orders and taken himself out of the Southern Palace. Now he was wondering through the corridors of heaven, looking for Dayena's chambers. He didn't know where they were exactly, as he'd never needed to look for them before, but he knew they were somewhere in the general vicinity of the Mistresses' chambers.

He must have been wondering blindly round in circles for nearly half an hour before spotting the heavy wooden doors which marked the entrance to Dayena's chambers. Making his way swiftly towards them, he pushed them open and attempted to make his way unseen through the entrance hall. It wasn't that he didn't want anyone to know he was there; he just didn't want anyone to delay him. It was much too important he spoke to Dayena for anyone to get in his way.

As he made his way through the crowds, he spotted her going into another chamber somewhere at the back of the hall. Pulling himself along faster, he made it to the door unnoticed, giving it a loud knock, before letting himself in. Dayena was sat somewhat calmly behind a large oak desk. Her gaze inquisitively rose to meet his, clearly unsure as to why he was there. For a few long moments Arados's voice was too dry to get out the words he was thinking, but eventually he managed to give a slight cough and address her.

'Technically would little Princess count as the Vii Sen child of a Vii Sen?'

'What,' Dayena frowned at him.

'Well I'm not mortal and False is a Vii Sen, so would little Princess…'

'But you're a Silkoneon…'

'A Silkoneon Mortal Immortal…'

'But a Silkoneon none the less,' she shook her head. 'Admittedly it's a tough call, but under the circumstances I've ruled in favour of you keeping the child.'

'Are you sure that was the right thing to do?'

'Why,' she shot him a strange look, 'I thought you wanted little Princess.'

'I do,' he shifted his gaze away, 'I want her more than anything in the world. But I think… I think if I keep her something bad will happen.'

'What makes you think that?'

'I keep seeing these… visions of her death. I don't want her to die… I…'

'I can assure you Arados; she won't die if she stays with you.'

'How do you know that? I mean, what if her birth is just so unnatural the multiverse is trying to correct it or worse, what if…'

'Now you stop right there,' she cut him off. 'I've witnessed stranger births of stranger children and the multiverse hasn't tried to extinguish them.'

'Yeah right,' he shook his head, 'what could be stranger than this?'

'Do you want me to give you a list or should we just skip to the part with Taylor?'

For a few moments he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He knew she was right about that one; Taylor was far from a natural birth. But at the same time he couldn't help but feel like she was getting this all wrong somehow. Princess was different to Taylor. She had to be.

'I'm sorry,' he shook his head, 'but it's just not enough. I have to be sure she's okay and the only way I can do that is to give her to you.'

'What on Giya planted that idea into your head?'

'I told you, I've been having these visions.'

'And they told you to hand little Princess over to me?'

'Well no, not exactly, but…'

'But what?'

'I just got this feeling like it would be the right thing to do. I know that sounds crazy, but…'

'Arados you don't have anything to worry about, really. You're going to make a wonderful parent and little Princess is going to live a long and incredibly full life. And you'll be the reason for that.'

'Yes, by giving her up.'

'No,' she shook her head, 'by keeping her.'

'But what if you're wrong? What if you only made your technical ruling on the basis of me being the son of the First? I don't want to be a special exception by default or something. I want the best decision for my daughter to be made.'

'And it was. Both me and Arrena spent weeks debating all the possibilities, trust me we didn't take this decision lightly,' she folded her arms. 'In the end we both agreed you should keep her and we've both been perfectly happy with that decision.'

'Well maybe you shouldn't be. Maybe…'

'Arados Lutoni,' she cut him off sharply, 'my sister and I have been doing our jobs for as long as life and death has existed. We've been involved in some of the most difficult decisions known to history. We know our jobs inside and out and we do _not_ make mistakes.'

'But that doesn't mean all the decisions you make are good ones.'

'Maybe not,' she agreed, 'but trust me, this one is. You are meant to raise this child. And trust me you will do a fantastic job of it. What you're feeling now is just nerves, I promise those will pass.'

'But what about the visions? They were too… nightmarish to be so easily dismissed.'

'I'll admit only that someone might be trying to mess with your head there. Maybe someone who has designs on the child and wants you to place her in a vulnerable position.'

'You mean like Ni?'

'Perhaps.'

For a few moments Arados pondered over what she'd just said. He had to admit it did make a lot of sense for this to be some kind of trick. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more confident he became that was what it was. But no matter how calm it made him, something in his gut continued to churn sickeningly.

'What if you're wrong,' he eventually managed. 'What if there's some kind of truth to these visions?'

'There's no way you'd let your daughter die Arados, take comfort in that.'

'But what if I can't. I mean, I'm too young to be a single parent, aren't I?'

'No you're not,' she shook her head, 'and you're hardly a single parent. You have your whole family to rely on, remember?'

'But not False,' he sighed. 'I don't think False wants anything to do with her.'

'I'm sure he'll look out for her in his own way.'

'You mean when he's not too busy trying to woo Kisara?'

'Have faith there Arados; if you don't you'll miss true love when it comes past you.'

'I don't think there is a true love out there for me,' he shook his head.

'Have faith,' she repeated, 'you'll see.'


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

There was something so relaxing about the warmth of the day and the beauty of the park surrounding them, which just set Helen at ease. The more she thought about it, the more she became certain Lus was right; her bad dream had been nothing more than a horror of the night. Sighing she rested back against him and closed her eyes. The sunlight filled her being with an intense feeling of happiness and she never wanted that to go away. So far she'd not had any regrets about her decision to be with Lus and, at that moment in time, she was pretty sure she never would.

A light breeze brushed past her, like a sudden chill. She tried to ignore it, but it left an uneasy tingling along her spine which ruined the moment she was in. Opening her eyes she almost had to do a double take of her surroundings. The park she was in had been burnt to a cinder. Black ash blew through the air, turning the already grey skyline into a smoggy mess.

'Lus…' her voice trembled, as she pulled herself forward in order to turn and face him. 'Do you see…?'

The scream resting in her throat cut off any words she might have been about to say. The body sat behind her was more than partially decomposed and the fact it was wearing the exact same thing Lus had been dressed in left Helen with more than a feeling of shocked terror.

'Lus…' she somehow managed.

'I thought we agreed you wouldn't play with Daddy anymore,' a child's voice sounded from behind her.

Turning round, she found herself confronted with the boy from the night before; his body just as badly beaten, if not worse.

'Playing with…'

Suddenly there was a strange creaking noise from the direction of the decomposing body. Whipping round to face it, she watched in horror as it slowly began to move of its own accord.

'What…?'

'Jo really shouldn't do that for you,' the boy's voice was mute, 'it only lets them in.'

'I don't understand what's going on,' she shook her head. 'What happened to him? How did he die?'

'He died because of you.'

'What?'

'You killed him,' the small boy elaborated. 'But its okay, you only did it to save me. I understand. But what I don't understand is why you keep letting them in. They only seem to want to hurt me.'

'Hurt you?'

'They don't go after you. They never go after you. They only attack me. And you never do anything about it. Do you know how that makes me feel?'

'I…'

'You shouldn't have saved me if he was the one you really wanted. You're not being a very good Mummy.'

'Niall…?'

'I told you not to call me that anymore,' the boy half shouted at her. 'That was what Daddy called me. He named me, not you. He loved me more than you ever could. Don't think I don't know why you sacrificed him for me. It was because he told you to.'

'Niall I would have saved you either way.'

'That's not true. The only thing you've ever wanted is him.'

'Niall that's not true…'

'I thought I told you to stop calling me that. You're not worthy to speak my name. All you want is him. You don't care they hurt me for it. It's all your fault this happened anyway. Hell rose because of you.'

'Because I choose your father over Ni?'

'You always choose Daddy over everyone. He's the only thing you seem to care about. That's why you keep bringing him back. Don't you think he's a little tired now?'

'None of this sounds like me,' she shook her head. 'This is all wrong.'

'No,' he glared back, 'this is all right. Don't you get it Mummy, you're a very bad person.'

'No, I'm not. I'm not a bad person; let me prove that to you.'

'You already have. You prove to me what kind of person you are every time you let them in.'

'Niall I'm sorry.'

'I don't want your apologies Mummy. I want you to do the right thing by me.'

'What?'

'I want you to do the right thing by me,' he repeated. 'I want you to stop putting me in this kind of danger. I want you to protect me from hell.'

'How do I do that?'

'Oh you know how Mummy,' his lips curled with a mix of disgust and anger, 'you know how.'

Gasping sharply, her whole body jutted upright. Blinking, she stared round at her surroundings. Everything had returned to normal. The blue sky, the green grass, the flowers, everything was as it should be.

'Are you okay,' Lus's was instantly up next to her, with his arms around her.

Turning towards him, she was thrilled to see him looking more than alive again. Unable to control herself, she half jumped on him and smothered him with half a dozen kisses.

'Hey, hey, hey, what was that for,' Lus laughed, as she calmed herself down.

'I just had the worst dream, at least I think it was a dream,' she began fondling her bump anxiously.

'What was it about?'

'It's too awful to say,' she pulled herself to her feet.

'Where do you think you're going,' Lus scrambled up to join her.

'I'll be back soon,' she kissed him again, this time with less enthusiasm than before, 'there's just something I have to do.'

Without giving him time to protest, she jumped herself into Dayena's chambers and hurried along to where she knew her Lady was keeping herself.

'Dee you have to change your ruling,' she didn't even give Dayena a chance to ask why she was there. 'This child must qualify for being a Vii Sen child of a Vii Sen. You must take him from me and keep him safe.'

'That's the second time I've heard that today,' Dayena frowned.

'What?'

'Arados was in here just now protesting about the same thing. Let me guess, you've been having bad visions too?'

'More like bad dreams.'

'Well I'm sorry Helen, but your child is much more cleanly cut than Arados's. You're definitely carrying a Sudosen, which means I'd be wrong to take him from you.'

'But you have to; I can't allow anything bad to happen to him.'

'And nothing bad will,' Dayena assured her. 'I can't think of anyone better suited to being a mother than you are.'

'But what if you're wrong?'

'I'm not wrong Helen,' she sighed. 'But I will tell you what I told Arados; someone is trying to mess with your head. Don't let them win. Don't let them force your child from you. Please.'


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

'_I've got my sights set on you and I'm ready to aim..._'

The fragment of song cut off before it could recite anymore of its lyrics. It was the third time the fragment had played like that and it was beginning to get to Kashmana. It wasn't that his patience was too thin to put up with it, if anything the opposite was true, most of the time. He just knew what music meant. Or rather, what it could mean.

'_I've got my sights set on you..._'

The music sounded again, making him grit his teeth tightly together. Every note of it grating through him now, making his temples throb with annoyance.

'You know you can say it, don't you?'

'Say what exactly,' he shot her a look.

'The music, you wanna know what it's lined with.'

'What makes you think I think it's lined with anything?'

'The little throbbing vain in your temple only turns that colour when you're encountering a subsonic source.'

'What colour,' he began rubbing his forehead self-consciously, 'and, for that matter, what vain?'

'Oh come on Kash, you know what I mean.'

'Yeah well…'

'_I've got my sights set on you..._'

'Okay then,' he growled in frustration, 'enlighten me, what is it lined with?'

'It's your third Y chromosome that does it you know,' she smirked, almost deliberately not answering him as she did. 'It makes you sensitive to subliminal vibrations.'

'But what is it?'

'Don't you mean what is it trying to do?'

'Stop being difficult little bit,' Kashmana rolled his eyes, 'just tell me what you know I want to know.'

'_I've got my sights set on you and I'm ready to aim..._'

'I will when I feel like it,' she shrugged, 'right now I'm enjoying that throbbing in your temple.'

'Great,' he rolled his eyes, 'well at least I know it has something to do with that then.'

'With what?'

'Your arrogance.'

'What?'

'Oh don't act so clueless,' he narrowed his gaze on her, 'you may not be the most arrogant of the three, but you all suffer from it. Whenever things work the way you want it to work you get all arrogant about it. Which means something in this music we're listening to must be bringing out the worst in you.'

'That probably makes the least amount of sense of anything you've ever said.'

'I know what connects you and music remember?'

'Oh do you now,' she gave him a more than sly look, 'and what would that be exactly.'

'You have Nymph blood, at least one kind and I may not know for sure which one of you got portions of which blood, but I'm pretty sure all of you got a little bit of Neffer blood. And Neffer Nymphs have the strongest connection to music of all the Nymphs. It gives them energy in a way it doesn't with anyone else.'

'Music gives everyone energy once you know how to tap into it,' she rolled her eyes. 'But you are right, for some reason Neffer blood is one of the few types all three of us share.'

'You'd think a guy like him wouldn't take any chances,' Kashmana folded his arms, 'creating you to different formulas makes you very different Power Limitless beings, no matter how good you are at acting like each other people would eventually twig there was more than one of you.'

'I've often wondered about that,' she lowered her head slightly, 'it's one of the points which could swing my belief in him either way.'

'I know…'

Before he could get any further through his sentence, the girl he knew to be Kasey appeared in front of them.

'I've got my sights set on you,' Kasey's face pulled with a weird smile, 'and I'm ready to aim.'

'So you're the one behind the music then,' Kashmana shot at her. 'Well stop it; there are people who are worried about you back home. You need to go to them.'

'When the dust is settled, will you make it home,' the girl's words were almost numb, as the area around them melted into a school playground. 'Our days are numbered. Our days have flown.'

'Stop it,' his Power Limitless companions sharply flung her arms out from her chest.

Almost automatically her outfit changed into a grey girl's pinafore with short sleeve white under blouse, virgin white socks and white sandals. To his amazement Kasey also changed into the same outfit, as the ground around them began to blister and crack.

'You're using powers that are not meant for you,' her gaze met with Kasey's. 'You're playing games you shouldn't be playing.'

'When the dust is settled, will you make it home?'

'Kasey,' she tried again, as the buildings around them began to crumble violently, 'you know this is wrong.'

'I'm not a mind reader, but I'm reading the signs,' Kasey seemed to be almost adlibbing now.

'Kasey, this isn't a nightmare you want to create,' she remained calm, as the ground below them began to shake. 'Jack is just manipulating you, please, learn to control yourself.'

'Who's Jack,' Kasey dropped all pretences of trying to sing now.

'The one who's telling you to do this.'

'Liar, he's not the one taking care of me. You're lying. Everybody is just a bunch of liars.'

'What do you mean he's not the one? Of course he's the one. Tall guy, with dark hair, always wears white suits. Jack.'

'He was right, everybody lies because they're stupid,' she shrugged and shook her head. 'He told me that's the reason you all lie and he was right. The one who looks after me has white hair and likes clothes which are dark.'

'What?' She stared at Kasey in confusion. 'But… then how are you able to do all this? The one who's showing you how has to be Jack, this is his power you're copying; you have to know that.'

'Nu-uh, it's _his_ friend's power. He said his friend doesn't mind, because they both wanna help me.'

'Help you with what, exactly?' Kashmana was the one to ask the question.

'Punish you all for killing them.'

'Killing who?'

'Mummy, the Teen and Daddy. You killed them. All of you. You all killed them and you all need to be punished.'

'Is that what Jack told you?'

'I told you; I don't know anyone called Jack. The one who looks after me told me.'

'And you trusted him,' Kashmana couldn't help but gawk, 'you didn't even know him.'

'He said he was a friend of the Teen.'

'And you believed him?'

'You have no right to question what I believe,' Kasey glared at him. 'I know it was you and Mai who killed them, whilst everyone else just watched.'

'The Teen isn't dead, he just became Veronie again,' Kashmana sighed heavily, 'and your Mummy's definitely alive.'

'Liar!'

'He's not lying,' his companion shook her head. 'Look at me, would I lie to you? Don't I look like your Mummy?'

'He told me what you are,' she shook her head, 'a mimic and a liar. You're the worst of the lot of them.'

'I'm not,' she violently clapped her hands together, automatically snapping the scene around them back to Giya, 'but I am still more powerful than you are. Be careful.'

'And you,' Kasey cocked her head strangely, as she disappeared, 'because when he finds out, you'll be sorry.'


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Arados arrived back in his room to find a curious looking Jo sat on his bed waiting for him. As he arrived her gaze rose up to meet his and for a few moments they were both silent.

'Where were you,' her voice was mute, with tense edges, 'I was worried.'

'That's a first,' Arados rolled his eyes, 'I thought you hated the fact I was taking Crovell's attention away from you.'

'How…?'

'I'm an empath, remember?'

'Only when you chose to be,' Jo's features became tight, 'else that incident with Taylor never would have happened.'

'You know as well as I do Crovell was messing with my head. I couldn't think straight, so how could I expect my abilities to work properly even when I did have them turned on?'

'You didn't sense False was hiding something from you either,' she pointed out.

'Oh no,' Arados shook his head, 'I knew he was, I just thought it was about something else.'

'Well I guess I can't deny you've read me correctly,' she averted her gaze. 'I was annoyed at you for stealing Crovell's attention away from me. But I'm not anymore. He was right; someone is trying to hurt you and little Princess.'

'How do you know that?'

'I had a nightmare of my own,' she rubbed her bump strangely, 'only mine wasn't given to me by the same person who gave you yours.'

'Then who gave it to you?'

'I'm not sure, but I'm guessing they're some kind of apprentice; which gave the one who visited me in the nightmare the ability to tell me a little of what's going on.'

'Oh?'

'I still don't know why they're doing it, but I do know they're very powerful and probably extremely old too.'

'How'd you know that?'

'My visitor told me they'd learnt the Masteries.'

'The what?'

'That's kind of what I said,' she lowered her head. 'My visitor suggested they were very difficult to learn and after I got back the first thing I did was look into them.'

'And?'

'Well for a start you have to be Power Limitless, because that's the only way you can learn every magical technique there is to learn in all the multiverses. You basically need to have mastered everything there is to learn before you can attempt the Masteries.'

'So I guess they're not called Masteries for nothing then,' Arados couldn't help but whistle. 'What else did you find out?'

'Once you start learning the Masteries you have to learn all eight if you want any hope of permanently keeping them. However learning all eight isn't as simple as that. It can take up to three years to learn each one and another year to master it. During that time, if any child is born with a brand new power you lose the ability to use any of the Masteries. You then have to learn the new power before you can start again. And you have to start again from the very beginning.'

'That could take a long time then,' his face twisted with his own confusion. 'I mean, breeds cross all the time producing variations on powers. And that _would_ count as new power, right?'

'Right.'

'So how can anyone ever hope to master all of them?'

'Like I said, my visitor hinted this person was very old.'

'Well they would have to be.'

'I know,' she nodded. 'Although once all eight Masteries are mastered no amount of new power can take them away again, but you are left with the opportunity to learn more.'

'Meaning on top of everything else, whoever this person is must be really powerful.'

'I could have told you that for nothing,' Crovell's voice sounded from the doorway, making both of them jump.

'Crovell,' Jo spluttered, 'how long have you been there?'

'Long enough,' he folded his arms, 'and at least now we know more about what we're up against. But I also want to tell you what I found out; our little Power Limitless friend knows who this creep is.'

'What?'

'Last I saw of her I think she was running off to confront him, but who knows,' he shrugged. 'Maybe she's his apprentice; it would explain why she leaves so much unanswered.'

'Why do I get the feeling you pushed her a little too hard,' Arados gritted his teeth. 'She's on our side you know.'

'You know Ara, no matter how much I'd like to believe that was true, I just can't shake this feeling she's hiding something from us. Or rather, hiding a _lot_ from us. Starting with her name.'

'She's not a bad person,' Arados insisted, 'she hides what she hides because she doesn't want us to think any less of her for it. Or at least that's what I sense from her.'

'And what is she hiding exactly, can you tell me that?'

'I don't know,' he shook his head, 'it feels like its something to do with her past, but there's… I don't know, something more current about it than that too.'

'Current in what way?'

'Again I don't know. I just know it feels like something…' he shook his head again. 'It just feels like something.'

'Wow Ara you make her sound so trustworthy.'

'Look C, the one thing I know with absolute certainty about her is that she wouldn't deliberately do anything to hurt us. Not without giving us some warning or time to prepare first.'

'She would really be that generous,' he rolled his eyes, 'you make her sound like a saint.'

'She's definitely not that,' he sighed, 'but she is here to help us. I just wish I knew with more certainty what she was hiding.'

'I think we all feel like that,' Jo chewed her lower lip nervously. 'But what can we really do, it's not like we can force her into telling us, that wouldn't be fair.'

'Wouldn't it?' Crovell shot her a look. 'Don't we have a right to know what she's keeping from us?'

'Of course not and you know it.'

'She could be the one putting us in danger and you two just want to sit back and let her.'

'It's not her C,' Arados insisted, 'she wouldn't.'

'Says who?'

'Says me,' he glared, 'and you should try trusting my opinion once in a while.'

'Whatever Ara,' he turned his head away. 'I will find out the truth about her and when I do… You'll see.'


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

The Pharaoh had been stunned into a long silence. He wasn't completely sure what he should think next, never mind say. Everything felt so completely twisted round the wrong way and it took him more than a few minutes to raise the courage needed to feel behind himself to see exactly what Anubis had meant. The first thing he felt was a straining of his own back, as it reached out towards something or someone. That had made him swallow painfully hard. He didn't really want to know what came next, but something compelled his hands to feel further back along.

It didn't take long for the tips of his fingers to brush against another's back. Instantly both hands retracted in a mix of horror and fear. He again became too stunned to breathe, never mind anything else.

'I guess I should have told you before,' Anubis sighed, 'that when I said something was connecting us, I was being more than literal about it.'

'How… how is this even possible?'

'I'm not sure,' the other admitted, 'I don't exactly know much. All I know is that when I was forced to scare your little friend something hot was searing into my back and that sensation didn't stop until we got back here.'

'I…' the Pharaoh hesitated. 'I think I felt that too. But what does that mean exactly? Have we been sown together?'

'I told you, I don't know,' something about his voice suddenly made him sound much younger than the Pharaoh had previously conceived. 'I thought we were souls. I didn't think we had bodies to be sown together. And yet… I don't know. Everything is just so confusing, I can't get my head round it.'

'Calm down,' the Pharaoh ordered, as much for his own sake as for Anubis's, 'getting worked up about this isn't going to help either one of us. What we need to do is think of a way to escape.'

Just as he said those words, the world around them pulled clearly into the lab and remained frozen there. It was almost as if his words had decided to reveal some kind of true reality and that reality placed them both as unwilling test subjects. Now he was able to get a better look round at the others, he realised what had happened to some of them had to be similar to his own predicament. And that meant…

'It's not a sowing is it,' Anubis's voice was small, 'it's a weaving. We've been woven together.'

'But why?'

'Why,' a female voice sounded from somewhere across the room, just as a male began laughing in dull hysteria, 'I can tell you why.'

There was a dry scraping of chains against the floor, as two mangled figures made their approach.

'Annu,' the Pharaoh swallowed hard, as he realised who one of them was. 'Nicolie,' his gaze turned to the other, 'what…?'

'Do you like my new look,' Annu's eyes shone with an almost inane kind of insanity, 'it's very…'

'In this season, don't you think,' Nicolie finished for her. 'In fact you might say…'

'It was the only look this season,' she twitched strangely.

'They did this to you too,' Anubis sounded horrified. 'When? Why?'

'Oh it was…'

'So long ago now,' Nicolie took over, 'I think we…'

'Were the first. The…'

'Prototype.'

'But… but why you two,' Anubis struggled with his words. 'I mean, why not one of the true couples?'

'I think that…'

'Would have made things far too…'

'Easy for him. Or else…'

'He thought…'

'A true couple wouldn't mind so much.'

'So instead he used the two of you?' Anubis sounded horrified.

'Oh you are smart,' Annu smirked strangely. 'You've not lost that after all your years of death then?'

'Annu…' Anubis's voice became strained, 'why are you acting like this?'

'Like what,' Nicolie met his gaze.

'Like you're insane.'

At that both of them laughed manically. It was pretty clear to the Pharaoh then that they'd been in this state for long enough for it to have truly messed with their heads. He didn't know whether to pity them or recoil in horror away from them, but either way it just left him feeling sick.

'Want to see a trick,' their voices sounded in unison. 'We've been getting good at it. So good in fact we were allowed to use it in one of his nightmares. It was so… satisfying.'

'Satisfying…' the Pharaoh almost chocked out, 'to torture someone?'

'To inflict the same pain,' Annu began.

'That we're going through,' Nicolie finished.

'Is most…'

'Satisfying.'

'So then,' the both piped in unison again, 'do you want to see our trick?'

Without waiting for an answer the two of them pulled together, forming one being in the process. At first the being looked exactly like the adult Nicolie, then like Drake, then Annu and finally…

'How is that last one possible,' the Pharaoh couldn't help but gasp, 'how could you look like Arados?'

'He shares my genes, does he not,' the Arados clone smirked. 'We are the same, though we are of different gender,' as he said this, parts of the female Annu started pulling through the appearance. 'Or maybe just being together makes it possible for us to do this.'

As more of the female parts of Annu pulled through the male parts started looking more and more like Nicolie. It was in that moment a sickening feeling entered the Pharaoh's stomach.

'You use your ability to become each other, to create what you're missing,' Anubis got the words out, before the Pharaoh had a chance to. 'But why would you want to do things like that?'

'For the rewards,' the mangled creature shrugged, its two voices overlapping. 'He treats you well if you perform the way he likes. And we get treated very, very well.'

'How could you sell yourselves out like that?'

'We didn't sell ourselves out, we just decided we liked it,' they laughed. 'And we loved being able to create a nightmare.'

'Whose nightmare,' the Pharaoh managed to out. 'Who were you sent to torture?'

'Someone you know,' they sounded almost smug. 'Someone who has a history invested in what we can become.'

'Taylor,' the name came out of him before he could stop it.

Not that there was any real doubt in his mind there could possibly be any other name.

'Taylor,' the creature breathily echoed. 'Taylor, Taylor, Taylor…'


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Gasping strangely she placed a hand to the side of her head as her face crinkled with pain. Beside her, Kashmana forced her to come to a stop, placing a hand on each of her shoulders as he did.

'Are you okay?'

'I… I'm not sure,' her eyes blinked open, for a second revealing themselves to be all black with a white catlike slit in the centre. 'Something feels strange,' she shook her head and her eyes reverted to normal, 'I think maybe we're getting close to finding him.'

'Then now's probably the perfect time for us to catch up with you,' Kisara's sounded cheerfully from behind, making Kashmana's heart pound sickly.

The look which had just taken over his companions eyes had been that of the beast. If the other two were to see even the slightest hint of it…

'I thought I told you two to train,' Kashmana narrowed his gaze on them. 'What are you doing here?'

'I was paranoid your nemeses might be _the_ Jack,' False's voice grated into him, 'I had to find out whether or not it was true.'

'Hero worshiper,' the Power Limitless muttered. 'Aren't you a little old to be wanting to hold onto the innocence of those you admire.'

'Maybe,' he shifted his gaze away, 'but whilst I still can, I don't see why I shouldn't.'

For a few moments they were all silent. Then Kashmana's companion turned back to the direction they'd been heading in, and set out again.

'Come on,' she started forward, 'we're not going to find Jack by just hanging around here.'

'Do we really want to find Jack at all,' the question was probably out of False's mouth before he even knew it was in his head. 'I mean, wouldn't it just be better for everyone not to know…'

'No,' she cut him off, coming to a stop again and swaying strangely as she did. 'If he is the one behind all this then he's messing with peoples' heads; he can't be allowed to get away with that. Don't you understand, whoever's doing this has to be stopped.'

'You make it sound so final.'

'It might have to be,' her voice multi-toned strangely for a moment, making Kashmana's heart race fearfully as it did. 'He has Kasey,' her voice reverting to her own. 'Or at least the _friend_ he told me would be helping us has her and this _friend _has manipulated her into hating everyone but the two of them. We can't allow that, can we?'

'But maybe he's not aware that's what this friend of his is doing' False protested. 'Or maybe she's already thinking like that and this friend of his is trying to change her mind.'

'She told us he told her everyone but him lied,' she turned round to meet his gaze, 'that doesn't sound like someone trying to fix things to me.'

'So then this so called friend of his has tricked him and…'

'Stop it,' for a moment her eyes flickered between her own and the beast's, 'Jack would never allow someone to deceive him like that, so whoever it is he's got out there must be doing it under his orders.'

'How can you be so sure?'

'Because I know him and you have no idea what he can be like.'

'Look, I'm not trying to second guess you here,' False shifted his gaze away again, 'I'm just trying to discover the truth.'

'I've told you the truth,' she turned away again, 'you just have to believe me.'

'And what if I can't?'

'Then that's your choice False Gleasta, not mine.'

At that she began walking again, clearly not bothering to wait and see if the others would follow. Sighing heavily, Kashmana turned his gaze towards the others and waited to see what they would do.

'What's her problem, anyway,' False snorted, 'she's acting like Jack's worse than the devil.'

'There's a part of me that believes he might well be,' Kashmana lowered his gaze, before setting off after his friend. 'And I know for a fact she really doesn't know what to think, about him or any of this.'

'Why,' Kisara and False moved after him, 'what's he done exactly?'

'He's not who any of you think he is,' Kashmana shook his head despairingly. 'He's not who most people think he is. He's someone entirely different altogether. At least, I'm starting to feel that way about him more and more.'

'And that makes him worse than the devil how,' False sounded unconvinced. 'It's not like any of us know who she really is,' he indicated towards the girl they were following, 'but that doesn't mean we automatically assume she's evil because of it.'

'You think in such small and obvious terms False,' Kashmana began rubbing at his temples. 'That's why you'll continue to speak in front of me even after you know how much pain it causes.'

'Sorry,' he lowered his head, 'but I have to know.'

'Why?'

'Because it's important to me,' he half cried. 'Wouldn't you want to know why one of your heroes was being treated like some criminal?'

'I'm sure even you couldn't have failed to notice the charges brought against him,' Kashmana shot back. 'Even if you didn't believe they were true, you couldn't just ignore them, because if he'd been brought to trail then the outcome of the Balance could have been at stake.'

'Okay, so I noticed them,' he rolled his eyes, 'but I just believed they were lies concocted by those who wanted to destroy the Balance for their own gain.'

'So did a lot of people at first, including me. But now…'

'Now what?'

'The ones who could testify either way don't even know the answer to that one. Not for certain. But not knowing the answers weigh just as heavily on them.'

'Why?'

'Because someone important to them has been badly affected by all this and I know… I know just how much it's killing at least one of them.'

For a few moments False was silent and the tension in Kashmana's forehead lifted a little.

'She's the Prodigy Child, isn't she,' False's voice was barely more than a faint whisper.

'Who is?'

'Her,' he pointed towards the girl they were following. 'She is the Prodigy Child. Or she's at least one of his students. That's why this is all so hard on her. Why she doesn't know what to believe.'

'What makes you say that?'

'Its something I've been wondering about for a while,' he began chewing his lower lip. 'Something I never dared say to anyone in case I was wrong. I mean… If I was wrong then I'd just be laughed at, wouldn't I?'

'You don't know that.'

'But I think I do,' his voice remained quiet, somehow making the subliminal level of it worse. 'I had this feeling about it when I first met her. I mean, she's everything like she's famed to be. I just didn't… I just didn't want to be wrong.'

For a few moments Kashmana said nothing. He didn't know whether or not he should reveal the truth to either of them without her permission. But the fact they'd already guessed part of it made it hard for him to just straight out lie.

'What if she is,' he almost found himself whispering, 'would either of you tell the others?'

'Not if she didn't want us to. And I'm guessing from the fact she hasn't revealed it so far means she doesn't,' False sighed. 'What I don't get is why.'

'Because it's more than her name she's trying to protect,' Kashmana chose his words carefully. 'It's you. All of you.'


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

'Arados,' Helen burst into his chambers, 'I…' she hesitated as she spotted Jo and Crovell staring at her strangely. 'I need to talk to you.'

'What about,' Arados frowned up at her.

'I… I'm not sure you'll want them hearing this,' she indicated to his siblings.

'You can say anything in front of them,' he shook his head. 'So just tell me already, before we all die of boredom.'

'Dee…' she could hear the nerves in her own voice, 'Dee said you'd been to see her today. That you were there just before I was.'

'Why did you go to see Dayena,' his frown returned.

'For the same reason you did,' she pressed her lips tightly together. 'I need to know what you've been seeing in your nightmares. I need to know if they've been anything like mine.'

'Why, what have yours been like?'

'Niall…' she placed a hand on her bump, 'my baby… accusing me of raising hell and of being a bad mother to him. It was… awful. More than awful, I saw myself…' she swallowed hard, too sickened by the thought to finish it.

'So I guess we're all being spoken to by our children then,' Jo saved her.

'What?'

'I didn't have the same kind of nightmare as you,' the younger girl remained calm, 'but I've had a nightmare. They're being… or at least yours and Ara's… are being controlled by the same person. Mine was given to me by his apprentice and more at the will of my bump than anything else.'

'I don't understand,' Helen couldn't help but gawk at her, 'why would anyone want me to believe I was a danger to Niall? Or to try to convince me I should allow Dee to raise him instead.'

'For the same reason they're trying to convince me of it,' Arados slowly began chewing his lower lip. 'Because they don't believe we have any right to be raising these children. Because they think we're being exceptions to the rule.'

'What makes you think that,' Jo set her gaze on him.

'Because why else would it just be me and Helen they're picking on?'

'But…'

'You got his apprentice, remember? We got him; you've said that much yourself. Helen and I are his targets. And why? Because we both share one thing in common. We're both carrying Sudosen. And at least one of those Sudosen only class as such by a very narrow margin.'

'So someone thinks you're trying to be an exception to the rule?'

'And they can't allow that,' Arados nodded slowly.

'Why not?'

'Oh come on Jo, even without your normal insight into things that much should be obvious,' Crovell rolled his eyes, speaking up for the first time, 'they weren't allowed to be.'

'What?'

'They weren't allowed to be an exception to the rule,' he repeated. 'They were forced to give up their child for the good of the Balance and have always believed that unjustified.'

'And if they're really as old as our son suggested then…' Jo turned her gaze away. 'They've probably built up quite a grudge against something like this happening. They're just trying to make it fair.'

'You mean they're feeling jipped by a technical classification,' Helen frowned. 'But why punish us for that? Why not try to convince Dee to take our babies away from us?'

'Maybe they're planning to do that once they get the two of you into enough of a state to willingly give your babies up,' Jo shrugged.

'Or maybe they don't want Dayena to see them,' Crovell interjected. 'Maybe they don't want her to know they're behind all this and somehow believe she'd know it was them the second they tried anything.'

'You mean you think its someone Dayena knows well?'

'More than that,' he lifted his gaze to meet briefly with each of theirs, 'I think it's her blood.'

'What?'

'Who else could have been alive for long enough to master the Masteries?'

'You mean, you think its one of her daughters,' Helen worded the question carefully, 'I mean, they are hosted by Vii Sen, so…'

'No,' Crovell cut her off, 'and since you know exactly what we know about a certain little Helper of ours, I'm surprised you've even suggested it.'

'Her son…'

Slowly Crovell began to nod and for a few moments all four of them were silent.

'How did you work it out,' Jo lowered her gaze. 'How could you be so sure about who it was?'

'I couldn't be,' he admitted. 'I'm not. But I can't think of anything else that makes sense, can you?'

'I…'

'Come on, I mean, we know he had to have had a child. And we know from Kisara no member of her line has ever been allowed to keep their own children, no matter what the circumstances. They've always been made an exception of in the opposite direction. If I were him, I'd be pissed to see my bloodline treated so poorly.'

'And then for me and Arados to…' Helen began.

'Exactly,' Crovell cut her off, 'I mean, would you be happy?'

'I guess I wouldn't.'

'But we still don't have any proof it was him,' Jo pointed out. 'And more to the point, we don't know where he is to ask him about it.'

'We don't,' Crovell folded his arms, 'but she does.'

'She who?'

'The Power Limitless girl,' Arados gasped in realisation, 'you think she knows where he is?'

'I think she's certain that it's him.'

'But why wouldn't she tell us that?'

'Because it's just another of those annoying little things she feels she has to hide,' Crovell gritted her teeth. 'Because maybe she's involved with him somehow.'

'What do you mean?'

'You think he might be her mentor,' Helen couldn't believe how dry her voice sounded, 'and, in truth, I think you're right.'

'Huh?'

'Back when I was a new recruit I heard these rumours. People used to say there was a Balancer amongst us who was older than they looked. Who changed their appearance every couple of hundred years and fained being someone new, but that you couldn't mistake their skills and everybody secretly knew it was the same person,' she pressed her lips tightly together. 'But nobody ever said anything about it, because they were such a good Balancer. Everybody just left them be, never naming for sure who it was or who they thought they were originally. After a few years of being fully qualified you remember the rumour and think it's just a fairytale.'

'But now you're not so sure?'

'Do you have a better explanation,' she blinked up at him. 'Fairytale or not, I think they're must be some truth behind it or else the rumour wouldn't have prevailed for so long.'

'But if this person is such a _good_ Balancer, why are they insisting on hurting you and Ara,' Jo frowned.

'Because maybe there are other rumours about them, rumours which would suggest they're not such a good Balancer as everyone first believed. Maybe they're not really a good Balancer at all and they've just been… waiting.'


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

The surface of the glass shimmered like the surface of a still pool of water during a light breeze. In the same breath it both fascinated and alarmed Taylor, especially since he'd been the one to cause the glass to perform like this. As he stood one side of the mirror, Drake stood the other side of it; his face showing a kind of eager anticipation for what was about to happen next. If Taylor was being truly honest, that part of it was leaving him feeling more than a little sick to his stomach. He was afraid and something in him told him he had good reason to be.

'Are you sure we shouldn't tell someone first,' Taylor tried to hide the nerves seeping into his voice. 'I mean, what if we get lost or trapped or something?'

'That's what the ropes for, remember,' Drake pulled at the long cord of rope attached to his waist. 'You just have to promise to stick close by me, I'd hate for you not to come back out too.'

'Maybe I should have a rope of my own,' Taylor mused, hoping it didn't seem too much like he was procrastinating.'

'What for,' Drake blinked at him, 'we agreed before you did that,' he indicted towards the mirror, 'that one rope would be enough, remember?'

'We agreed that because one rope was all we could find,' Taylor muttered. 'Maybe we weren't looking hard enough. Or maybe I should just draw a second one.'

'Look if you're too afraid to go in there, I could always go on my own you know.'

'No,' he shook his head. 'Nu-uh. No way. I wouldn't let you.'

'Why not?'

'Because I can think of about a dozen people who would kill me for it.'

'Only a dozen?'

'You know what I mean.'

'Yeah,' Drake rolled his eyes, 'I know. But that doesn't mean you can't back out.'

'Yes it does,' Taylor swallowed hard, 'so let's do this before I completely change my mind.'

Nodding, Drake shuffled himself closer to the glass, placing a hand flat against its shimmering surface as he did. For a moment it held, then the glass appeared to reach out and engulf his hand. Almost before Taylor could breathe, Drake had pushed his way into it, becoming nothing more than a blurred image on the other side. Swallowing hard, Taylor made his way to follow him, but before the tips of his fingers had even made contact with the surface, the glass suddenly pulled solid, cutting the rope fed through it as it did.

'Drake,' Taylor's eyes went wide with fear, as he could see his lover clearly in the glass, beside his own reflection.

'Get help,' the younger boy's voice made it out to him, 'find a way to re-opened it.'

'I won't leave you here like this.'

'You have to,' Drake shook his head. 'You have to get help for me.'

'But…'

'Taylor go, now.'

Reluctantly Taylor forced himself to turn and dart out of his bedroom. As he made it into the hallway he began to wonder who the best person to help him would be. Searchingly his eyes stared up and down the corridor, before some confidence filled him and he made his way down towards where he knew his father would be.

'Dad,' he burst into the little office, 'I… I've just done something awful.'

'What,' his father frowned up at him.

'I've just… just trapped Drake in the mirror.'

'You've what?'

'I've just trapped Drake in the mirror,' he swallowed hard. 'We were… we were trying to… to save…'

'Save who,' his Dad cut him off. 'Who would be trapped in the mirror and why?'

'We… we think it's the souls of those who lived before.'

'What?'

'Lilly and the others.'

'And what on earth would make you think that?'

'Drake's seen them… Drake… Drake lost his reflection and they've been able to talk to him because of it.'

'What do you mean Drake lost his reflection?'

'I… It… There was this dream… nightmare he had and…'

'Slow down Tay,' his father held a hand up to silence him. 'Start again, from the beginning this time, and tell me exactly what's going on.'

'Last night Drake had these nightmares, only they were too real to really be nightmares, they were something else all together. I know, because I had one myself, remember, Parto woke me up from it.'

'I remember,' his Dad pressed his lips together, 'go on.'

'Well ever since he got up this morning Drake's had no reflection in anything. I've seen that much myself so I know it's true. But every now and then where his reflection should be the image of one of the people trapped in the mirrors appears.'

'People trapped in the mirrors?'

'That's what Drake believes at least. He thinks the mirrors lead to some kind of parallel nightmare reality and that he has to save those people who are trapped there.'

'And what do you believe?'

'I don't know…' Taylor couldn't help but avert his gaze. 'I've never seen anyone or anything replace his missing reflection. He's always been on his own when someone talks to him.'

'So you think he might be lying to you about it?'

'No,' he shook his head defensively, 'but maybe someone's trying to trick him into thinking its true.'

'I see. And where exactly is Drake now.'

'Trapped in the mirror,' his voice tinged with the desperation he was feeling. 'Drake insisted the only way to save them was for the pair of us to go in there and find them. He… he made me find the spell that would do it. And then…'

'The spell let him in, but no one else.'

'Which really makes me think that someone's trying to trick him somehow.'

'Why haven't you just reused the spell to get him back out already?'

'Because… because the spell will only work once every four hours.'

'And it's only been a few minutes since you used it,' his father nodded understandingly. 'So I guess we'll just have to wait it out.'

'We can't,' Taylor gave him a horrified look. 'We can't just leave him in there for hours and hours, that's not fair.'

'And nor is the two of you messing with this situation on your own. You should have gone to somebody, anybody else about it first.'

'Why?'

'To give you some perspective. To point out when you were being recklessly stupid.'

'To stop this from happening?'

'Exactly,' his father's jaw hardened slightly, before he let out a heavy sigh. 'But I guess now that it has we really should do something about it.'

'So you'll help us?'

'What choice do I have,' he rose to his feet. 'I'll just have Catilin breathing down my neck if I don't.'

'Thank you,' Taylor couldn't help but hug his father.

'For what,' he shook his head, 'its not like I have a choice here, now is it?'


	43. Chapter 43

~ To my loyal readers, just to let you know I will be taking a break from my daily posts over the xmas this year, as I will be here there and everywhere. I will start posting chapters daily again from Mon 29th of Dec. Thank you all for sticking with me this long. Happy Holidays. Ila. ~

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 43<strong>

The building had pretty much come out of nowhere, surprising False more than a little. And its white columns looked more than out of place on the narrow cinderblock looking building they fronted. For the longest time all four of them stood a distance away from it, as if they somehow expected it to move towards them or at least make some other gesture towards its living existence. But there was nothing.

'Come on,' the Prodigy Child rolled her eyes, before setting forward, forcing the rest of them to do the same.

Clearly boredom had gotten the better of her and False couldn't say he was exactly surprised. After all, if they'd remained standing out there any longer… False's thoughts faded almost the instant they entered the building. It didn't matter now they were inside and confronted with a hall of whiteness. Periodically around the hall there were Romanesque columns set up, rendering the large area good for nothing but an entrance hall or maybe…

Again False found himself loosing interest in his own thoughts as a tall, dashingly handsome man entered the room. The man had a thick, short main of dark brown hair, which fell in and out of place of its own accord. His jaw was set firmly and squared with a deep set of masculinity, softened somehow by the intense blue of his eyes. His face had a timeless quality to it, at once both young and old, yet continually handsome. It was as if he were a Vii Sen, yet False could sense something not quite justified about that opinion even before the guy opened his mouth. Maybe it had something to do with the strange lab-like trench coat with thick black buckle ties he was wearing over his pristine white suit, but somehow False didn't think so.

'Ahh,' the guy blasted out a sigh like noise of wonder and admiration, as he made his way directly towards Kisara, 'blood of my blood,' placed a hand under her chin in order to study her intensely, 'you look just like my wife, but better. Somehow better with those eyes. Those eyes you clearly got from me.'

In the same instance False twinged with jealousy and roared with disbelief over what he was hearing. There was something about it which was so…

'Yes,' the guy continued, as he cupped her face in his hands, 'I see my line has continued well without me. I only apologise to you that I could not be around to impose you all with my strength and give you all the courage to break away from that tyrant.'

'Tyrant,' the word breezed lightly out of Kisara, making False's sense of jealousy burn deeper.

'Why my mother of course, the oh so lovely Lady of Death; who would raise us, then steal our children. As blood of my blood you must be more than aware of that or does she have you all so completely brainwashed now you would willingly submit to her kind of injustice.'

'Jack leave her alone,' the Prodigy Child glared, 'you're not doing anyone any good with this little charade.'

'What's the matter little one,' the voice he used turned from smooth to almost patronising, 'jealous someone else could hold my attention?'

'You know that's not it,' she shook her head.

'Then what is, hm,' he made his way towards her.

'The fact that you're using a child… an infant in your twisted little games.'

'I'm not using anyone,' he smirked, 'I told you before, I sent a friend in to help you out. I can hardly be responsible if that friend decides to… use an infant, now can I?'

'Enough of your games Jack,' her voice was sharp, 'I don't believe for a second you don't know what this so called friend of yours is doing. How… how can you do this to a child?'

'Oh come on, it's not like he's doing her any real harm. Just trying to make her the best Dorsoma she can be.'

'No,' she shook her head, 'he's warping her into some kind of monster.'

'Monster,' Jack laughed deeply, 'you throw that word around so easily, don't you little one?'

'I use it only when I need to,' she turned her gaze away. 'I don't care if it's you or this _friend_ of yours doing this to her. It's wrong. It has to stop.'

'I'm starting to think I sent the wrong one in,' he turned callously away, 'you say that you trust me one minute and then burst into my home making unreasonable accusations the next. How can you say you trust me when you treat me like that?' He fained hurt.

'You call yourself a Balancer,' False suddenly found anger bubbling through him. 'I admired you once, but you're nothing but a… a… a…'

'You have no idea what I am,' Jack's eyes suddenly became nothing but black orifices with catlike white strips in the centre and a circle mark with the central cross appeared on his forehead and right palm.

False felt sure they'd also be on his chest and left shoulder, just as he was sure he knew what the mark was. It was the mark of Marnci. The mark of the beast.

'Do you like it,' his voice growled with an intense kind of cruelty. 'It took me three hosts to master the power, then another two to get this exactly right. The Symbiotic state is just so exhilarating,' his gaze momentarily flicked towards the Prodigy Child, 'like nothing else in the multiverse. Knowing you have the power in you to take another person's life in an instant or draw out their dying breath for all eternity. There's no other feeling in the world like this.'

'That's not how Marnci works, but trust you to think that way,' the Prodigy Child averted her gaze in disgust, 'only you ever would.'

'You make me seem so heartless little one,' he laughed. 'Please don't tell me you think me so cruel.'

'I'm seriously starting to wonder,' she continued to avert her gaze. 'Now disarm that silly little trick of yours.'

'Why would I,' his voice mocked, 'when I want to show everybody here the one little drawback of this. The one thing that makes this amazing power less than perfect. The one minute little flaw that can't be fixed no matter how hard I try,' he stretched his right hand out towards her.

To False's amazement, as the stream of red energy approached the Prodigy Child, a red field of translucent energy went up protectively around her. This shield caused the stream coming out of Jack to gather in a mass on the front of it; building up, until it eventually fired back at him, knocking him off of his feet and back into one of the pillars. Almost as soon as he made the sickening connection, he began to laugh in a winded sounding way, as he staggered back to his feet. The look had left him now, as he reverted back to his normal self.

'That one little flaw,' his lips curled, 'that one little pain which means I'll never truly get what I want from you. I guess it was my own fault,' he stalked his way towards her, 'but still… I will find a way and when I do,' he laughed, 'oh it will be _perfect_.'


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Drake knew he shouldn't have. He knew Taylor would be mad at him when he found out. He knew he was pretty crazy to have put his own life at risk in such a way, but he couldn't help it. He'd been responsible for making sure the mirror lost its portal ability the second he'd moved inside of it. He'd done it on purpose and without Taylor consent for the sole reason that he didn't want Taylor to help him with this. It felt more than a little selfish, even to him, but he couldn't help it. Something compelled him to do this alone. And maybe it had something to do with his missing reflection, but he firmly believed the fates were on his side about this one.

In that vein, almost as soon as Taylor had left the room, Drake had made his way back from the pain of glass separating him from the real world and travelled deeper into the dark obis surrounding him. Not that he had any real idea as to the direction he should take; just that taking a straight path forward felt like the right option for now. If he was smarter he might have realised sooner this had to be some kind of trap; or at least it was a trap if you assumed someone had tricked him into doing this. Drake wasn't sure where he stood on that thought, especially about how stupid it might make him.

Suddenly there was a rushing noise from either side, making him gasp in fear. Staring around, he tried to work out where it was coming from. The darkness he was peering into, however, just appeared darker and deeper than before. No light penetrated into it for anything to reflect back into his vision. Truth was, Drake was surprised he could see his own hand when placed in front of his face, never mind anything else. Huddling into himself, Drake began pushing his way forward again. There was something in the darkness with him. Something which would eventually reveal itself and cause him to die of fright. Something he wouldn't be able to see coming or defend himself against. Something that would just lurk around him; watching and waiting for the time to strike.

A deep rooted shudder rushed up and down Drake's spine.

'Why did I do this alone,' he whispered to himself, as another rush of noise echoed around him. 'Why didn't I bring Tay in here with me?'

'Because I didn't want you to,' the rushing noise came to a dead halt, as his sister's image appeared before him. 'Because I needed you alone.'

'Kasey,' he gasped in surprise, 'you… you're doing this to them.'

'Uh-uh,' she shook her head, 'I'm just playing with them. He said his friend said it was alright for me to play with them.'

'You're the one practicing,' Drake swallowed hard. 'You're the one who gave me those nightmares, but why?'

'You let Mummy and Daddy die.'

'What,' he gawked at her.

'You were too busy with Taylor to stop them from killing Mummy and Daddy,' Kasey rephrased. 'You let them die and that makes you as bad as everyone else.'

'Everyone else?'

'The ones who killed them.'

'But…'

'You also let them kill Ulk Teen. He said you asked them to kill Ulk Teen. Why did you do that big brother? Why did you want him dead?'

'I… I didn't ask anyone to kill Ulk Teen,' he stammered. 'I wouldn't. Ulk Teen is really Ulk Veronie.'

'So? You still wanted him dead.'

'No.'

'Liar!'

'No,' he protested, 'I'm not lying. Ulk Teen and Mum aren't dead. They're still alive. I mean, I was talking to Mum this morning and she's missing you.'

'Liar,' she half screamed at him, 'you can't talk to the dead.'

'I can talk to SK and False and Helen and Kisara. They're all dead, aren't they?'

'But they didn't die like the way Mummy did,' Kasey half spat at him. 'He told me she couldn't come back. He told me that no one would ever get to speak to her again. Just like he told me you would lie about it.'

'Kasey I'm not lying, Mum isn't dead.'

'Yes she is.'

'No… no she isn't.'

'She _is_ dead,' Kasey insisted, her voice almost spitting violence as she did. 'She died and you were talking to that copy this morning.'

'Copy,' Drake couldn't help but frown. 'What copy?'

'The younger one.'

'I…'

'The one without a name.'

'Her,' a deep sense of hesitant realisation moved through him. 'I wasn't talking to her this morning. I haven't spoken to her since I finished training yesterday. I was talking to Mum this morning.'

'Liar! Have you even seen the two of them together?'

'Yes I have,' he puffed his chest out defensively, speaking before he had a real chance to think about it.

'Don't lie,' she only became more and more enraged by him. 'He said you haven't. He said you never would, because Mummy is dead. You can't see them together because Mummy is dead.'

'No,' Drake shook his head, 'Mum _is_ alive. And I have seen the two of them together, I know I have.'

'Stop lying big brother, you're not allowed to lie to me. Not anymore.'

'But I'm not lying to you. I've never been lying to you. Why can't you believe that?'

'Because he said…'

'Who?'

'What?'

'You keep talking about this _he_, but I want to know who.'

'You know who.'

'No,' he disagreed, 'I don't think I've had the pleasure of a formal introduction to him. And since he clearly means so much to you, I think I have a right to know who it is. What's his name?'

'You know his name.'

'Then humour me a little and pretend like I've never met him before.'

'Because you want to fool me with more lies,' the deep set of the suspicion in Kasey's voice was more than clear now.

'No, because I want you to play a little game of make believe with me. Like we used to do when you were younger. Do you remember?'

'Yes,' she almost seemed to sulk.

'So pretend like I've never heard of this person you're talking about. Now, tell me, what's his name?'

'Baraku.'

Just the sound of it made Drake's insides turn cold. He had heard that name before and a part of him knew without a doubt what it meant. But he couldn't let on to Kasey, instead he maintained his composure and kept on with his questions.

'And where did you meet him?'

'In the cave, after everyone had died.'

'And he told you they were dead?'

'Yes,' she nodded, 'because he knew I had a right to know the truth and he told it to me.'

'The truth? Are you sure?'

'Yes.'

'But you've never actually seen them dead, have you?'

'I felt it,' Kasey voice was dull. '_I _felt it, so I know.'


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

She'd spent the first part of the day flittering from place to place, trying to find someone worth bothering. Almost everyone she encountered, however, appeared to be overly preoccupied with something else. It was at that point she decided her services obviously weren't needed and had started making her way back to the home she was sharing with the other two. Before she made it all the way back she suddenly remembered about the little Veronsen-Vii. She'd been visiting the girl from time to time without the Prodigy Child's knowledge; it was her contribution to the efforts the others were making to help. After all, Pitch knew better than to trust anyone controlled by fear alone, especially not when the person controlled by it was the leader of a demon tribe.

From the perch she'd been watching them from Pitch knew only two things. The first was how Hickarama had broken her word on more than one point and the second was that CiCi was definitely stronger than the evil resonating inside of her. A part of Pitch couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of pride and enthusiasm over it, because, unlike the other three Vii Sen hosts, Pitch had never allowed her inner demon to fully corrupt her personality. But then again even if she had The Dead Lover had always been the least corrupt of the four sisters, joining in with the activities of the others only for a want not to be left out. In truth The Dead Lover had just as much of her mother in her as her father.

But The Dead Lover had a reputation to live up to. A reputation indirectly given to her by her sisters, but it was still one none the less. That meant Pitch had to keep up the idea that The Dead Lover was in the same mentality as her sisters, but just had a smarter way of going about it. It was a strange feeling to have to live up to a reputation neither you nor your Plexesynth wanted. But at the same time it was almost enjoyable; Pitch had found a strange kind of exhilaration in playing the bad girl and had to begin with been more than happy to play up to it in order to aid her brother on his self appointed mission.

Doubts about that mission had begun to creep in even before she'd met the Prodigy Child and then after her thoughts about him and it had really begun to change. The more she got to know the girl, the less enthusiasm she had for her own bad girl image and the idea of helping her brother just left cold shivers running up and down her spine. That was one of the reasons she'd been keeping an eye on CiCi and Hickarama like this. She had to be sure that the young Veronsen-Vii wasn't being led down the wrong path. Up until this point, things seemed to be running according to the script the Prodigy Child had lain down for them. But now…

Hickarama's decision to tell CiCi she was a demon was unnecessary reckless, especially when there were better ways to go about getting the same results. It was also starting to form a huge part of the reason Pitch wanted to interfere with their training. But that would mean having to explain why she was here, not just to them but to the Prodigy Child too. It would well and truly break her cover and that would take some, if not all, the fun out of her involvement in this situation. Not to mention alert Ni to her involvement. But at the same time she knew she could just walk away from this. She had to find out what was going on and assess the situation accordingly.

Swiftly she jumped herself down from the tree she was in and appeared neatly before them. She was using her own appearance rather than that of Miraid's since Hickarama would probably see right through it anyway. Upon her arrival the pair of them froze, only to stare at her like some kind of invading spirit looking to turn them both into something neither wanted to be. For a few moments Pitch amused herself with that thought. But only for a moment.

'My name is…'

'Pitch Black,' Hickarama cut her off, her voice dripping with amazement as she did, 'I never thought you really existed. At least not anymore. But… Oh my hell you're really real aren't you?'

'Yes,' she nodded, unsure as to how she was recognised so easily.

'And you've really existed for longer than any other Vii Sen,' Hickarama sounded almost excited now, 'because of my sister.'

'That's right.'

'And the others? Are they all still alive?'

'To the best of my knowledge they are,' a tight smile pulled at her lips, 'but it's been a long time since I've seen any of them.'

'Of course, they're all being punished in various places, but you…' suddenly Hickarama's face fell strangely. 'You're his true heir.'

'I'd rather not be,' she shrugged. 'As far as I'm concerned hell is and will always be his, what does he need heirs for?'

'Because…' she hesitated. 'Because he has to.'

'There's no law that says he does,' Pitch shook her head. 'You just want there to be in order to benefit your own selfish desires. But I'm not here about that,' her gaze focused on CiCi for a moment, 'I need to know why you told her what you are.'

'What…' CiCi gasped in confusion, 'she…'

'I wasn't talking to you,' she rolled her eyes, before flicking them back towards Hickarama. 'I was talking to you.'

'I told her because I had no choice.'

'Don't give me that, there's always a choice. And you were expressly told not to tell her.'

'It just seemed like a faster way of training her.'

'Now you're just spinning lies,' Pitch narrowed her gaze. 'Tell me the truth, why did you break your word and tell her what you are?'

'I told you I had no choice,' Hickarama turned her gaze away. 'You could at least have done me the decency of asking why I felt that way.'

'Okay then why.'

'I was told to…'

'By who?'

'I don't know, but he told me he was older and more powerful than I could imagine,' her gaze remained awkwardly low. 'He told me if I didn't tell he had ways… means of punishing me even she couldn't compete with. I didn't think that was quite possible but…'

'You still believed him,' Pitch swallowed hard, almost certain of who the threatener must be.'

'I didn't feel as though I had much choice but to believe him. He was so…'

'Intimidating.'

'Yes. You know him?' Hickarama's gaze went back up to meet hers.

'Yes,' she nodded reluctantly.

'Well then who is he and could he really have carried out what he said?'

'Oh I've no doubt he could do worse to you than her; you must have realised that he can…'

'No, the power I sensed from him was different,' she held and met Pitch's gaze, 'I didn't think he was as powerful as he said, but I did believe he could carry out his threats, not because he had the power to but because he knew someone else who could. He told me as much himself.'

'I don't understand, I felt sure it had to be him directly,' she frowned.

'Who? Who did you think it was?'

'I don't know, but I need you to tell me what he looked like quickly. I need to know…'

'Know what?'

'Whether or not he is who I think he is.'

'And who do you think it is?'

'You're not going to drop this till I tell you, right?' Pitch sighed. 'My brother. I think it might be my brother.'


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

Crovell had somehow managed to convince the others to allow him to go investigating, but only on the condition he found every free person he could to go with him. Personally he thought this was more than a little unfair, after all he was more powerful than any of the others, but he had agreed and he was determined to be good to his word. Still he had deliberately started his search for tagalongs with Catilin and Duke, somehow instinctively knowing neither of them would want to go with him. He had been right and he didn't even have to talk to them to find that out. When he arrived at the Southern Palace they were caught up in some heated argument and Crovell respected them enough to let them alone.

His next point of call was Lus. He knew Lus would be free enough to come along with him, but was hoping the idea of his lover being in danger would make him run to her protection, rather then tagalong with him. He'd been wrong, however, and Crovell found himself with his first merry man. Quickly from there they made there way to the Kaibas, in order to pick up anyone interested in a little adventure. When they arrived in Taylor's room, they found him stood in front of the mirror, staring deeply into it with a look of desperation on his face.

'I know you are incredibly good looking,' Crovell couldn't help but cock an eyebrow at him, 'but you're reflection isn't going to run away if you take your eyes off of it you know.'

'I'm not looking for my reflection,' Taylor's voice sounded more than a little strained, 'I'm looking for Drake's.'

'But Drake's not even in the room,' Lus pointed out.

'I know, but he is in the mirror… or at least he was. He was before I went to get my Dad for help.'

'You're saying he's disappeared,' Crovell frowned.

'Yes.'

'What the hell was he doing in the mirror in the first place?'

'Talma…' Taylor began strangely, 'she… she was in his nightmares last night…'

'When isn't she in his nightmares,' he rolled his eyes.

'No I mean… well yes she's normally in his nightmares, but these weren't his normal nightmares. He woke up this morning without a reflection.'

'And so he decided to go into the mirror to investigate?'

'We both did, but only after he'd spoken to Lilly.'

'Spoken to Lilly,' Lus sounded strangely curious, 'my Khindel was here?'

'Apparently she was his reflection.'

'Apparently?'

'Well…' he hesitated.

'You didn't see it did you,' Crovell folded his arms tightly.

'I've seen him without a reflection,' Taylor admitted, 'but I've never seen anything replace that reflection. I've not seen Lilly or any of the others in the glass.'

'There have been others?'

'Only Talma according to Drake, but…'

'But what?'

'He believers there are more in there.'

'In where,' Lus frowned.

'In some kind of mirror world. That's why he made me open a portal. But as soon as he went through the portal closed and…'

'He disappeared…' Crovell mused.

In response all Taylor would do was nod with a kind of rigid slowness. For a few minutes then they were all silent, as Crovell slowly contemplated over the information he'd been given. Something in him told him there was a connection between Drake's disappearance and the nightmares Arados and the others had been having. What he couldn't work out was what that connection was.

'I…' Taylor began hesitatingly, breaking into the silence as he did.

'What is it,' Crovell turned his gaze towards him.

'I had a nightmare last night to, but I was brought back from it before it had a chance to finish.'

'And you think it's connected somehow?'

'Drake thought so and it didn't take much to convince me it was. I mean, he said someone was… training or practicing or…'

'Well that much I can confirm is true,' Crovell cut him off. 'Jo was given the exact same message.'

'From Talma?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'from our son. The others have all had nightmares involving their children.'

'I see.'

'But there's more,' Crovell took a deep breath. 'There's more than one person giving these nightmares and there's more than one reason why they're occurring.'

'And what are those reasons,' Taylor shot him a curious look, finally taking his gaze away from the mirror as he did.

'One wants to force Helen and Ara into giving up their babies,' he sighed, 'the other has something to do with an apprentice.'

'Apprentice?'

'Yes.'

'So someone _is_ practicing then,' Taylor began chewing his lip nervously. 'But what about the mirror world, is that real or not?'

'I don't know,' Crovell reluctantly admitted. 'All I know is that the Masteries are being used here.'

'The Masteries,' Taylor repeated slowly, something in his voice turning the word over with a strange kind of familiarity.

'You've heard of them,' Lus frowned, 'I hadn't.'

'I haven't heard of them exactly, I just read that word whilst I was researching the relation between mirrors and nightmares. Something about the Mastery of Souls and how a reflective surface can captures our soul's image. But I didn't…'

'That's all I need to know,' Crovell held a hand up to stop him. 'That's a lot more than Jo managed to find out about any of the individual Masteries. Although I was of the opinion, or rather she was, that the Mastery of Souls had no use on its own.'

'Well I guess she was misinformed then.'

'I guess…'

For a few moments the silence returned. Then Lus shifted uncomfortably and flick his gaze between the two of them.

'Why do I get the feeling that we're going to need to go in there,' he pointed to the mirror, 'after Drake?'

'Because Drake's disappearance is connected to what we're supposed to be doing,' Crovell sighed, 'so going in after him might not be such a bad idea.'

'Then I just wish it was that simple,' Taylor turned his gaze back towards the glass, placing a hand against it as he did. 'But right now my Dad and I are struggling to find a way of reopening the portal.'

'Then I guess it's a good job we're here then,' Crovell focussed his sights on the mirror, 'because I promise you we won't rest until we do.'


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

'How many more times do we have to keep going over this,' her voice was shrill and angry, 'you are not my husband. You will never be my husband. You _do_ _not_ love me. Why is that so hard for you to accept?'

'Because it's impossible for me to accept a lie,' he shook his head, 'don't you get that? I am all those things you say I'm not. I do love you; I know I love you.'

'You didn't love me before you became the Hybrid though, did you?'

'You don't know how I felt about you before I became the Hybrid.'

'I know you didn't love me.'

'How?'

'What?'

'How do you know I didn't love you? I still had a part of Jay in me then and even if I didn't, what's to say I couldn't have fallen in love with you anyway?'

'You don't love me SK, you can't love me.'

'Why not?'

'Because you… you're… you…'

'WHAT?'

Making an odd noise of disgust she turned her head away. She couldn't admit what she really thought to him that was just impossible and he would just deny it anyway. Or repeat his questioning of how she knew and what made her so sure. Truth was she didn't even know what made her so sure; she just knew she knew it.

'Catilin,' SK gritted his teeth, 'you can't keep things from me.'

'SK you couldn't have loved me before you became the Hybrid,' she tried to keep her cool, 'because you've been in love with Jay since the moment you met him.'

'What,' SK laughed out in a mixture of amusement and shock, 'who told you that nonsense?'

'Nobody told me it SK and it's not nonsense.'

'I've never been in love with Jay, Catilin, I'm not…'

'Yes you are.'

'No, I'm not,' he shook his head, 'I don't even know what would make anyone think that I was.'

'Because you are.'

'No, I'm not.'

'I get on with Dee, remember and I know you became a favourite of hers after Jay went away, but you've never once shown her the same kind of affection any of her other favourites have.'

'So? I'm not like any of them.'

'Because you're…'

'No,' he cut her off, 'I am most definitely not. Don't you think it's possible that maybe, just maybe, the reason I haven't shown her that much affection is because I was in love with someone else?'

'Jay…'

'No, _you_.'

'You've never been in love with me SK,' she shook her head. 'It's him. It's always been him.'

'What, even when I've insulted him?'

'Yes.'

'I'm not in love with him.'

'But everything you've done since he went away has been for him or about him. Even you wanting us to be together is because of him.'

'You don't…'

'Yes I do,' she cut him off, 'because my Duke would know better than to do this to me. He would back off and give me my space. What you're doing… how you're acting is exactly like Jay. You're doing this for him, not for Duke.'

'You don't know that for sure,' he pointed out, clearly hurt, 'and even if it is true it doesn't mean I'm in love with him. He was my best friend…'

'You barely knew him…'

'I spent almost all my time with him towards the end. There wasn't a day when we weren't together, so don't you dare tell me I barely knew him. I knew more about him than you ever could. He was my best friend.'

'And you loved him.'

'Yes, but I wasn't in love with him. Maybe I was in love with the idea of him. Of who he was. Of the life that he'd lived. But that's all. There was no sexual attraction. No desire to want to be with him. He was my best friend. I thought of him like my brother. I was not…'

'Don't lie,' she cut him off again.'

'I'm not lying. I'm not even remotely lying. I am not…' suddenly he cut himself off and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply as he did.

Instantly she wanted to pull away. Something about this kiss reminded her too much of Duke to ever be comfortable and she instantly knew it proved nothing.

'So they're attracted to me,' she managed to spit at him, as she pulled herself away. 'So they love me. And all those feelings they have now live inside you. That doesn't make you them. And it most certainly does not make you love me.'

'How can you say that?'

'Because you're so afraid to admit your real feelings about anything you jumped onto someone else's emotions without giving it a second thought. You've allowed yourself to be consumed by Jay's love for me and have now added Duke's on top of that. But _you_ love him, not me.'

'No I don't,' he protested, 'I love you. I've always loved you.'

'No you haven't,' she could feel her expression falling as she desperately clung to half forgotten straws. 'I saw the way you used to look at him when you thought no one was looking. The way you always picked on him and assumed the worst just because it gave you an excuse to talk about him. The way you always seemed so happy when he turned out to be in the right.'

'I told you he was like a brother to me,' he shook his head, 'and we used to fight like we were related.'

'Because you were in love with him.'

'No, because that wouldn't explain him fighting back.'

'He wanted you to admire him SK. He was fond of you.'

'Because he thought of me like I thought of him, as a brother.'

'I was jealous of you SK,' she gritted her teeth. 'Don't you get that? He was more than just brotherly about you and even though I know he was in love with me…'

'No,' SK cut her off in Jay's voice, placing his hands over his ears as he did, 'no don't tell him that. Don't confuse him. That is enough Cat; just accept he loves you.'


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

The tension in the air now was more than obvious; clearly there were things going on which were completely mystifying to her, but all the others took it in their stride. Even False didn't seem to be fazed by any of it, which surprised Kisara immensely considering the fact two of his heroes were involved. For a long time now there had been silence. It was as if no sound were able to penetrate the vacuum of tension surrounding them. Then the Prodigy Child made a strange deep throated noise and rolled her head back and forth along her shoulders. She then fixed her gaze squarely on Jack, with a look that would have made anger seem like a joy.

'Why is it everything you're doing right now just convinces me she's right about you,' her voice was strangely calm. 'And all that little display of yours did was make your powers seem completely pointless. They didn't get why it didn't work.'

'But you did,' he returned, 'and right now that's all that matters.'

'You're not being clever you know Jack. I thought you wanted me to trust you, so why are you making it so impossible for me to do so?'

'I'm just trying to set things right.'

'What things?'

'If you don't know the answer to that by now little one…'

'This is about the children, isn't it? You want them.'

'What on earth would make you think a thing like that little one,' he almost taunted.

'Why else would you have gone after Arados?'

'And going after one instantly means I've gone after them all, does it?'

'There was something strange in the air last night…'

'And that's what you're basing your assumption on,' he laughed. 'Give me a little more than that little one please.'

'I don't need to give you more than that,' she glared at him, 'I've given you enough already. I've been trying so hard to work out whether I should trust you or what she's telling me and acting like this really isn't helping me…'

'I don't want them all,' he cut her off, amazing Kisara at how easily he appeared to back down to her, 'I only need two of them.'

'Why only two?' False frowned deeply.

'I'm sure she can tell you that,' he indicated towards Kisara, stunning her even more.

'I…' Kisara couldn't help but stammer, before giving a nervous cough to clear her throat. 'Vii Sen blood,' she swallowed hard, hoping she'd guessed right.

'Those little Sudosen get out on a technicality, when I had to give up my child. I will not stand for this. I will not stand for the rules being bent for such minor Gods, when they couldn't be bent for me,' he snarled, 'or rather they could, but just the wrong way.'

'Dee was just trying to protect us…'

'Protect herself more like,' he cut her off. 'She couldn't give a damn about how anyone of us really felt so long as her precious little secret was kept. I honestly don't know why my father ever put up with it.'

'Tracker loved Dee,' Kisara defended, 'we all do.'

'You only do because you've accepted this blasé fate of yours. This copout that's supposed to make everything okay. But it's not okay. Especially not when those Nuevo Gods get to keep there little Sudosen.'

'But they _are_ Gods…'

'And I was just a Higher Being,' he rolled his eyes, 'I didn't think a little thing like that was supposed to matter. And it definitely shouldn't matter anymore, since I'm now so much more than I was.'

'You've turned yourself into a Power Limitless,' Kisara murmured, 'to take some kind of revenge?'

'You think this is about revenge,' he shook his head. 'You're so limited in your thinking if you believe that.'

'But you did deliberately turn yourself into a Power Limitless, didn't you?'

'Yes,' he casually folded his arms, 'on the Council penny too; I mean those idiots had to have their uses. And you also have no idea how proud I was when I discovered someone in my line was born one. You've no idea the plans I had for you. Plans which came to nothing the second my mother got her claws into you. And after the spirit your mother had shown I was so disappointed.'

'I'm… I'm sorry,' she stammered, 'I didn't…'

'Of course you didn't think,' he cut her off, 'why would you?'

'I…'

'There's no need for you to protest anything,' he kept her silent. 'You not only became devoted to that mother of mine, but you've been so disinterested in your Limitless powers they might as well not exist. I'm more than disappointed in you Kisara, if you weren't still just young enough for me to correct I'd be ashamed to call you my blood.'

At that all Kisara could do was swallow hard and lower her head. She felt more than speechless. More than ashamed. She'd never thought her ancestor would be anything but proud of the things she'd done, to find out he felt like this about her…

'You can come with me Kisara,' his voice suddenly took on the quality of melted chocolate. 'There's so much you can learn… so much I can teach you. It's not too late for you to outdo your potential you know. You just need to…'

'Stop it,' Kashmana cut him off, his hands pressed tightly over his ears. 'Stop using that damnable power to brainwash her.'

'Trust a MacTay to spoil my fun,' Jack laughed, 'but it's not really for you to decide what I do and if I want to help my kin out, why stop me?'

'Because she's my kin to. I've as much right…'

'She's kin to your clan,' Jack stopped him, 'that's different.'

'Not really, the dilution of your line makes her as much my blood as she is yours.'

'The MacTay don't need her.'

'No,' Kashmana held firm, 'but the Mistresses do.'

'The Mistresses,' Jack's voice turned sour again, 'they're almost as bad as my mother when it comes to bending the rules. Don't think I haven't been watching them these last few years. Them and they're all powerful brats. And the only conclusion I have ever come to is that we of Limitless Power would do a much better job of things.'

'Is that why you kidnapped a little girl,' the Prodigy Child shot at him.

'The Dorsoma has the capacity to learn and will in time become Limitless.'

'So she was right, you did do this to us deliberately.'

'You think in such minute measures,' he smirked at her. 'Take a look at the bigger picture little one, you might see further if you do.'

'I don't…'

'Come on, its so obvious really; I plan to make sure she doesn't rebel against me,' he smirked. 'I plan to make sure she's cruel from the start. The Teen did a great job starting her down that road and Baraku will make sure she sticks with it.'

'Baraku?' The Prodigy Child swallowed hard. 'As in…'

'Baraku Nima,' he cut her off, 'an old and very dear friend of mine.'


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

His sister's expression was serious and knowing she could copy any ability she liked he was pretty sure _ignoring her feelings_, however wrong they were, was not a good idea right now. He felt sick and strangely trapped by his own relative and there wasn't much which could make the situation worse or at least so he thought. In the blink of an eye the dark expanse around them shot away, revealing the flagstone walls of a twisted little lab. The first thing which caught his attention was Talma's cage and he found himself compelled to move towards it.

'Talma…' his voice sounded strange and the look in her eyes revealed she could neither hear nor see him. 'What's going on,' he turned towards his sister, as more and more of the lab revealed itself. 'What is this place?'

'Drake,' the Pharaoh's voice called to him before his sister could answer, 'Drake is that you?'

'Pharaoh,' he searched each cage and set of chains for the one which held Yugi's Khine, 'Pharaoh are you okay?'

'Of course he is,' Annu suddenly appeared before him, the chains around her right wrist and ankle being the only things to reveal her captivity. 'Why wouldn't he be okay here? Why wouldn't any of us be okay here?'

'Don't listen to her,' another voice called to them, 'this place has turned her into a monster; she just wants to hurt you.'

Gasping fearfully, Drake found himself backing away. Now more than ever he was certain of the stupidity which brought him in here alone. He couldn't handle any of this, it was all just…

'It won't hurt much,' Kasey interrupted his thoughts, as she came towards him holding a strange kind of surgical implement. 'It'll just sting for a few seconds, then you won't even notice it.'

'What are you planning to do with that,' Drake could almost feel his eye bulge with fear, as he continued to back away from her.

'He showed me how to do it so that I could make one.'

'Make one what?'

'You're going to be so pretty when you're done; you'll thank me for this.'

'Kasey…'

'Don't you want to be pretty big brother,' her whole body developed some kind of tick. 'Don't you want to be pretty for Taylor?'

'You leave Taylor out of this.'

'But I can't just leave him out of this,' her voice sounded strangely amused. 'He's the reason you stood by and let them kill our parents. He's the reason you do anything anymore. He has to learn that what he did was wrong. You shouldn't keep a child from saving his parents.'

'Kasey…' Drake was starting to wonder where the exit was; the whole situation was getting to be more than a little too much for him. 'Don't… please don't do this. This isn't you. You're not some cruel… I don't know. You're not cruel like this.'

'Really?'

'Kasey this isn't you…'

'How would you know what is and isn't me,' she waved the implement tauntingly, 'you barely know anything about me.'

'That's not true,' he protested, 'you're my little sister; I know everything about you.'

'Really? And how would you know that when you spend all your time with Taylor?'

'I don't spend all my time with Taylor,' he shook his head. 'I take care of you all the time. I've watched you grow up. Mum and Dad were so happy and proud when you were born. And that made me feel the same way.'

'Don't lie; you never even wanted me around. You didn't watch anything. All you did before spending all your time with Taylor, was mope about what she,' she indicted towards Talma's cage, 'had done to you.'

'That's not fair,' he shook his head, 'you can't blame me for being traumatised.'

'Traumatised,' Kasey rolled her eyes, 'is that what you're calling it?'

'Yes, because that's what it was.'

'If that's what it was, then why did you bother coming here to save her? Why aren't you just leaving her to rot away for what she put you through?'

'Because… because I… I couldn't…'

'Couldn't what? Stand the thought of anyone who reminds you of Taylor being in trouble.'

'Yes… No… that's not it.'

'But its close, right? You wish it were it.'

'I… Kasey… Kasey please, you're not being fair. You're not…'

'Why should I be fair,' she shook her head, still pointing the implement tauntingly towards him. 'No one's ever been fair to me. Or at least none of you have. But the Teen and Baraku… they're the only ones who seem to know what I need.'

'They're the ones who've warped you into something you're not,' Drake protested. 'How can you defend that?'

'How can I not, when I know they love me.'

'And the rest of us don't?'

'The rest of you killed my parents,' she half screamed, 'how can I believe anything of you?'

'I…'

'Don't even try to come up with an answer to that,' she cut him off angrily, 'the fear in your eyes is enough to let me know anything you say will be a lie.'

'Damon,' he suddenly managed to out. 'Don't you believe Damon loves you?'

'Damon's a demon,' she rolled her eyes, as though the answer to that question was obvious, 'he doesn't love anything or anyone.'

'That's not true.'

'Then why'd he join his parents down in hell?'

'They kidnapped him,' Drake found himself crying out, 'and he's escaped now and is living back with Kaiba.'

'Don't lie,' she held the implement directly towards him. 'If he were out of hell he wouldn't have let my parents die. And if he did it just means he's as much a demon as I thought.'

'When did you start thinking of your best friend as a demon?'

'When Baraku told me…'

'Ugh, do you believe everything that… man tells you?'

'He's the only one who wouldn't lie to me.'

'In telling you that he is lying.'

'No.'

'Yes,' Drake insisted, his back now firmly up against a wall. 'Don't you get it? He's the one who's been lying to you this whole time. He's the one who's been messing with your head and turning you into… to…'

'What,' her expression became almost nasty, 'turned me into what?'

'Something that couldn't possibly be human,' he found himself murmuring against his own will. 'You don't even sound like a child anymore. You have no innocence left, how can that be human?'

'You let our parents die,' she repeated her tired reframe, 'you're the one who's not human.'


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

'Walla,' Crovell's voice was filled with more than a hint of sarcasm, 'one reopened mirror portal.'

'The only question is, does it lead to the same place as Drake,' Lus frowned deeply into the pool like glass, 'or will we find ourselves the other side of nowhere when we enter.'

'The other side of nowhere?' Taylor stared at him. 'Why wouldn't it take us to where Drake is?'

'It will,' Crovell assured him, 'Lus is just being an idiot.'

'You're all being idiots if you think I'm going to let any of you risk this,' his Dad's voice suddenly sounded from behind them. 'Two of you are expectant fathers for crying out loud; what exactly am I supposed to tell Jo and Helen if you never return?'

'That we did this for them,' Lus held himself up proudly, revealing just how leanly muscular he was becoming. 'To protect them or save them from whatever it is that's on the other side of this.'

'And you're all that sure are you?'

'There's a connection between the Masteries and everything that's gone on, including this mirror stuff,' Crovell hardened his jaw line. 'If Jo were here she'd totally support what I was about to do.'

'And you're sure about that?'

'Yes,' he nodded firmly. 'Don't you get it? This is all connected somehow. Even the fact they've kidnapped Drake is all linked. Okay it doesn't make a whole lot of sense until you work out more than one person is running the show here; but it's definitely not two separate shows.'

'How can you be so sure of that,' his Dad folded his arms tightly.

'Because the one controlling everything that's happening to Drake is the apprentice to the one causing the nightmares Helen and Ara had.'

'And how do you know that?'

'Because that's what my son told Jo.'

For a few moments his Dad was silent. It was clear from the look on his face he didn't quite believe Crovell was being serious here. And somehow Taylor knew exactly what question his Dad was going to ask next.

'And how exactly did your son let her know this?'

'Through a nightmare Jo had. He used the apprentice to his advantage.'

'Why am I not surprised a child of yours would pull something like that,' his Dad cocked an eyebrow. 'But how can you be sure she wasn't being tricked?'

'They can't,' Taylor answered for him. 'Just like Drake couldn't be sure he wasn't being tricked when Talma told him about the one practicing. Which might mean there's only one person pulling all the strings, trying to make it seem like we have half a chance. But either way the power that's being used is unquestionably the Masteries.'

'Okay, that one I'll give you,' his Dad relented slightly.

'You mean you believe it's the work of the Masteries?'

'I can't think of any other power that ties all of this together,' his voice toned with a strange amount of disbelief. 'However I can't see how two people could master the Masteries and evade coming to the attention of the Mistresses. I mean, one, maybe, if they were clever, but two…'

'Well the second one's still learning, so maybe that's why both have come to your attention at once.'

'And my son did tell Jo that the other, the master, was a lot older than his apprentice,' Crovell added. 'A lot older than most people would believe.'

'There's only one person I can think of who would have been able to pull it off,' his Dad's jaw line began to tense, 'Dayena's son.'

'Because he's immortal?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'because he was the first to discover that the continual infusion of different bloods will eventually caused a transformation into Power Limitless.'

'When you say discovered…' Lus frowned.

'He knew the infusion of different bloods into a person gave them different powers, as well as eventually changing their Balance issued definition. He was just planning to see how strong it would make him,' his Dad sighed, 'or at least I assume that's what he was doing; no one really knows for sure. All we know is he eventually came to be the first Power Limitless by design. And then he just… disappeared.'

'Disappeared?' Crovell tilted his head curiously.

'Very few people were aware of his true identity back then, remember? Just his mother and us Mistresses. His father was long gone by that point.'

'I see.'

'Because of that he had to, at some point at least, appear to ascend himself. It was always agreed he would, or at least between his mother and him it was,' his Dad sighed again. 'He resented the idea of it; didn't see why he should have to appear to ascend, just to change his appearance and remerge onto the world to lead a slightly different life just because his mother told him to.'

'But he did anyway,' Lus pressed his lips together.

'He did because he wanted to get away from her. She'd always planned to know who he became each time. He… well I guess he had other plans.'

'What kind of plans?'

'At first we weren't sure; that's why we decided to keep an eye on him. Then he joined the Balance and we figured no harm would come from that.'

'But you were wrong?'

'We've made sure we knew who he became every time he decided he needed a change of look,' his Dad folded his arms, 'but we haven't been keeping too close an eye on his activities. After all, we didn't think he could do any real harm trying to protect the Balance.'

'But you think now you were wrong,' Crovell pressed.

'We know now we were,' he turned away. 'Certain questions have been raised about him in the last decade or so and everyone is starting to have their doubts about his loyalty to the Balance. And we've… or at least I've started to question whether he was ever loyal to it to begin with.'

'Why? What did he do?'

For a long while his Dad was silent. There was something so strangely drawn about his face that Taylor was almost afraid to ask what exactly it was Dayena's son had done.

'What did he do,' Crovell insisted, 'we need to know.'

'He abused his power and his position,' his Dad turned away from them, 'at the expense of another. An innocent girl who never deserved the life she's had because of him. Because he tricked all of us into thinking…' he shook his head. 'We should have trusted our instincts. We should never have allowed him to start training her so young. Then… maybe… things would have been different but now… There are just so many questions… so many doubts… I just… I just hope my instincts are wrong… that it's not worse still.'

'Worse still?' Crovell frowned. 'How could it be worse?'

'Because it might not be one little girl he ruined, it might be three.'


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

'You can't be serious,' False stared at him, horrified, 'ever since Baraku first came into existence he's been nothing but trouble. He's been there through almost every single period of unrest, leading the way or at least manipulating it from behind the scenes. He can't be trusted and you… you're calling him an old friend? You've put an innocent little girl in his care? A girl who's family is missing her and just want her back.'

'Who I am and am not friends with is none of your concern,' Jack rolled his eyes. 'As for the girl, she's much better off in the care of my friend than with a family who will always fail to realise her potential. According to Baraku she is maturing quickly under his guidance and it won't be long now before I can introduce myself to her and begin her real training.'

'You're a monster.'

'That's a little bit harsh, don't you think? And what about you,' his gaze turned almost mysteriously towards Kisara. 'You don't think I'm a monster too, do you? After all, I'm doing all this for you and the rest of my beloved family. Because you deserve what I never had, the ability to keep any child you bare. I mean, wouldn't that just be everything to you?'

Quickly False flicked his gaze towards her, hoping that she wasn't being lulled in by any of his nonsense. Something about the look in her eyes, however, told him she was more than tempted. Reels of shock ran through him. He couldn't believe Kisara of all people would be tempted by something like this. Not after all the time and energy she'd spent defending Dayena's decision to do what she'd done to her family when they were younger. All the hours she'd half beaten into False the importance of their secret legacy. For her to suddenly want to give up on that…

'Oh you're good,' Kashmana gave a more than sarcastic sounding laugh. 'You've mastered that silver tongue in a way even Ni's never been able to.'

'I have no idea what you mean,' Jack shrugged callously. 'If the girl wants to follow me, it's only because blood is thicker than water.'

'This migraine you're giving me says otherwise,' he glared. 'Stop messing with her head you…'

'Kashmana stop,' the Prodigy Child cut him off, 'we both know this argument won't end well, no matter how it goes from here. And we also know the Dorsoma will learn to give him everything he wants regardless of whether it's temporary or not. The very fact she is a Dorsoma will simply speed things up however he's planning to play it from here. But I also know if any of that made even the slightest bit of difference to what he truly wants here, we would never have seen him in the first place.'

'What makes you so sure of that little one,' Jack taunted. 'I'm having a lot of fun here; I don't think much would have kept me away from that.'

'Even if you make Kasey Power Limitless she will always be nothing more than an imitation. Granted a damn good one, but one none the less.'

'Your point?'

'You don't want an imitation,' she lowered her gaze strangely, 'you want the real thing. You've always wanted the real thing, but you've never had the guts to take it for yourself. Because even when you became more powerful than any other living being you still feared that you wouldn't be able to control it. And that fear kept it at an arms length from you.'

'Perhaps,' his voice was almost silky smooth, 'but you seem to have proven I had nothing to fear. If only I knew the method was so simple…'

'You still wouldn't have,' she cut him off, 'no one can do what I have done.'

'That's a little arrogant of you, don't you think little one?'

'No,' she shook her head, 'I don't mean it in that way, I mean…'

'I know just what you mean. But what you did doesn't take guts little one or any kind of special strength and we both know it.'

'I also know your arrogance would always make you go too far, just like it did with so many before me. No one else could control it as well as I have, even if they do exactly as I have done.'

'What on Giya makes you believe yourself so special?'

'Because I know something no one else has ever known. I have learnt it through experience… through patience and hard work. I have learnt the one thing none of you know. The real secret.'

'And you don't think anyone else could possibly learn it?'

'Not before loosing everything they were in trying.'

For a few long minutes there was silence and False really began to wish he had even the faintest idea of what they were talking about. Instead all he could really do was wait and see what would happen next, hoping beyond anything they would drop the cryptic and let the rest of them in on it.

'You really don't suit that arrogance as well as she does,' Jack snorted, turning away from her as he did. 'Everything the two of you have ever done has been to compare with her… to keep up with her and you know it. But, the sad fact of the matter is, you're never going to be as good as she is. Even now, in her self-imposed little exile, she is still better than you. And this arrogance… this self-assurance you have is nothing more than a façade, because you're not even half as good as you'd like others to believe. How can you be when you're not half as good as she is?'

For a moment the Prodigy Child looked almost crushed and False felt even more confused than ever. But before he or anyone else could say anything, Jack gave a cold and cutting laugh as his eyes glinted with excitement.

'You know what's really sad, that little girl Baraku is working with has more potential than you do. She's young enough to learn and I've no doubt she'll surpass you before you even have a chance to blink. And when she does we'll see just how unique you are in your ability to control it.'

'What makes you think she'll be able to learn it?'

'Because she'll have no choice.'

At that the Prodigy Child started laughing. It was a strange kind of laugh, even for her and it sent chills running up and down False's spine.

'You really are a monster, aren't you? We're talking about a child here, how can you be so callous, so cold? And what makes you think I'm just going to stand by and let you? All the times you favoured her because she showed the most promise in your eyes. All the times you ignored the two of us because you didn't think we were keeping up. You didn't really see us. You didn't really know who we were or what we were capable of. You may have forced this great power upon us, but you have nothing to do with the people we are.'

'Is that what you think?'

'That's what I know,' she held her ground. 'I know I am who I am because one very important thing sets me apart from everyone else. The one thing no one will ever truly be able to mimic, because it's a formula so unique to me.'

'You? You of all people are talking about being unique,' he laughed. 'If she were the one saying it, maybe I would take her seriously, but you? You've spent your life imitating her, how can you be unique?'

'Laugh all you want Jack, you won't be able to deny it in the end.'

'And how do you know what the end will be?'

'I know Jack.'

'Then this won't shock you,' he suddenly manifested a dagger from thin air.

'What's the matter Jack, couldn't you find what you needed without resorting to that,' she taunted. 'Did they really hide them so well?'

'Oh no,' he shook his head, 'I found them alright.'

'Then why kill me?'

'Shouldn't that be obvious, even to you?'

At that a strange smirk appeared on the Prodigy Child's face, as her eyes moved from the dagger to meet with his.

'You don't want to take the chance I'll take it back, do you?'

'Would you?'

'Perhaps not,' she shifted her gaze, 'but what makes you think I'll let you kill me?'

'Because I don't think you'll allow for any of the alternatives.'

'Confident, aren't we?'

'Would you care to prove me wrong?'


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

For a long while now she'd just been staring at him in shock. She'd witnessed SK uses either Jay's or Duke's voices on occasion, but had always thought it had been SK trying to gain her trust. The way Jay's voice had come out now felt different to all the times before. This wasn't some trick. This was… was…

'Jay,' she murmured uncertainly, 'Jay is that you?'

'Who do you think it is,' SK continued using Jay's voice, as he lowered his hands from his ears in order to stare pleadingly into her eyes.

The eyes, his eyes looked different too as if to betray someone else's control, almost hinting at Jay's playful green behind SK's dazzling blue.

'You're in there,' she felt like an idiot for asking, but she didn't know what else to say.

'You already knew that I was,' he stared back at her, 'how can you even ask that question?'

'I though you were just a part of him, I didn't know…'

'We are one and we are not one. We are three and we are not three. We're something altogether, different from anything.'

'So Duke is really in there too,' she stared searchingly into his eyes, 'and all those times SK used his voice…'

'It was Duke,' SK-Jay nodded. 'Just like it is me now.'

'But how does it work? Can you hear each other? Are they aware of what's going on right now?'

'We are three and we are one,' he began carefully. 'We're always aware of everything, even each others thoughts sometimes.'

'Only sometimes?'

'We don't always know what the others are thinking,' he admitted, 'but we can guess at it. Not always correctly though but that…'

'Doesn't matter,' she finished for him. 'So Duke is really in there?'

'Yes,' SK-Jay nodded again. 'Why are you more concerned with him than with me?'

'Because I know you,' she averted her gaze slightly, 'however much you loved me…'

'Need I remind you, you were not the first and only girl I was in love with? When I was alive…'

'I know that,' she cut him off, 'but that doesn't mean…'

'And also when I was dead… I mean, I was one of Dee's favourites.'

'I know that too, but there was something… I know you felt something… I could see it in your eyes as much as I could see it in his.'

'Don't you think we'd be able to see it in each other now,' SK-Jay protested. 'Don't you think we would have realised it and admitted it at least to ourselves? Do you really think we'd be chasing after you so much if…?'

'I don't know,' she cut him off. 'All I know is that you… you do have feelings there. Feelings that neither of you can explore now, so you're leaning back against the ones you can. The ones you and Duke have for me that SK now shares.'

'Don't you think he had them before?'

'SK, have feelings for me all on his own,' she couldn't help but laugh. 'SK was…'

'No he wasn't,' SK-Jay defended. 'He was…'

'He wasn't straight,' she cut him off. 'If anything he wasn't anything. He didn't have any kind of sexual attraction. Or if he did he not only hid it well, but he…'

'Still managed to fall for me,' he rolled his eyes, 'is that what you're thinking? Because that's not true. He didn't fall for me. He didn't fall for anyone until I became a part of him.'

'So you've just confirmed what I already knew. Before you, he didn't love me.'

'But he didn't love me either, not like that…'

'How can you be so sure?'

'I'm a part of him, I don't think I can be any surer.'

For a long few minutes she was silent again. She didn't want to continue with this if she was just going to keep getting blocked. What she knew to be true didn't matter in this situation, because everything had changed.

'You have to understand something here Cat,' SK-Jay broke the silence, 'just because the feelings weren't his originally, doesn't mean they're not real to him now. Not real to all three of us now. You have all three of us in love with you.'

'I know,' she sighed heavily, 'but I'd still feel like…'

'How can you be betraying him, when you're with him?'

'But it's just not the same,' she shook her head. 'I wouldn't really be staring into his eyes or kissing his lips or touching him… I'd be doing those things to SK, he'd just be the one behind the mask.'

'If he were still alive, but someone forced him to switch bodies, would you still love him or would you love his body?'

'Of course I would still love him,' she felt half amazed Jay could ask such a thing. 'But he's not alive…'

'But he has switched bodies.'

'And he's not the only one inside of it; that's what makes the difference here. I don't want three husbands for the price of one. I just want _my_ husband. I just want _one_ husband. I just want Duke.'

'And you can have him…'

'No I can't,' she shook her head, 'because it will never be just him and me…'

'You'll get used to that.'

'Why should I have to? Why can't I just allow my husband to be dead?'

'Because he's not dead. Well not completely. And he still loves you,' SK-Jay sighed heavily and half turned away. 'If he were a Nethher Herin…'

'I wouldn't…'

'You would have with me if…'

'No,' she cut him off, 'I have my children to think about. I couldn't do that to them. They need their father to be alive or dead. They can't have him as both that's just…'

'Possible. It's more than possible for the lives they've been leading. They don't need to lose their father.'

'Yes they do. Drake does.'

'Have you talked to him about it?'

'I've seen it in his eyes every time the three of you are near him. He doesn't want anything to do with you, because you're not his father. Not really…'

'He'll get used to the idea eventually.'

'He shouldn't have to.'

'Catilin we all want to be with you. And even if it means we have to go all the way back to square one and start wooing you again or whatever, we will do that.'

'But why? What's so fantastic about me?'

'We love you, that's what.'

'That's not enough.'

'How can you of all people say that?'

'I don't…'

'Don't betray your heart Catilin, it would kill you if you did.'

'I know,' she lowered her gaze, 'and that's how I know I can't be with you.'

'Catilin…'

'No,' she shook her head, 'I can't do this. I can't be with you…'


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

The first thing Taylor had done upon entering the mirror was search for signs of Drake. He couldn't stand the nagging thought Lus had started about them not crossing into the same mirror reality as his lover. If that ever turned out to be true then he'd… He wasn't quite sure what he would do, but he knew he'd feel more than awful about it. And the more he thought about it the more awful he felt about what was going to happen if they couldn't find Drake in here.

'Didn't you say he had a rope around his waist,' Crovell broke into his thoughts.

'Yeah,' he nodded, 'why?'

In response Crovell simply pointed to something lying on the ground.

'I guess he took it off,' Taylor was too anxious to feel relieved by anything at this point. 'We should get going.'

'Right,' his father nodded, pressing forward as he did. 'Well are you boys coming or not?'

His Dad coming with them was the only way they'd managed to convince him to let them go through. In some ways Taylor was kind of glad his father was with them, it made him feel safe to know he could always rely on his parents. But at the same time he worried something terrible might happen to his Dad because of this choice and he couldn't stand being the cause of anymore of his pain. Quickly the others fell into place behind his father, as they continued to make their way through the dark expanse. Something about the way his father's jaw kept clenching let Taylor know things weren't going to be as simple as they seemed. But then something in him already knew that much anyway, it was just a matter of…

'The darkness isn't real,' Crovell's words surprised Taylor more than a little.

'You've only just figured that out,' his father smirked a little, 'I'm all but blind and I've known that since the moment we entered.'

'But do you know what the darkness is hiding?'

'Yes,' he nodded, 'it's hiding the one thing I regret ever allowing him.'

'What…?'

'His lab.'

'His lab,' Lus frowned, 'are you saying on top of everything else this guy was some sort of scientist?'

'I guess you could say that. He liked experimenting with things, pushing the upper most limits of control and rationality,' his father's face became drawn. 'Once the Balance condemns a person for a capital offence their life is pretty much over. The best they can expect is to be fed to the beast on the eleventh year or better yet fed to the Saved every fourth. If they're lucky then they'll never have to see the inside of this place.'

'You mean…' Taylor could feel a thick, sticky lining of bile rising up in his throat.

'The Council decided that four years of prison life for some of its detainees was too good for them. The idea of them being used like lab rats seemed somehow more fitting and so they were handed over to Jack, and his predeceasing forms, no questions asked, no expectations held. He could do what he liked with them and didn't have to show anything for it.'

'What did he do with them?'

'Nobody knew,' he sighed heavily. 'Nobody wants to know, but since the rumours about him have started… people are getting a pretty good idea about it, whether they believe it or not.'

'It is really that bad?'

'It's probably worse. Take anything you can possibly imagine, then times it by ten. I've no doubt he tortures his captives in the most unimaginable ways and the second they start to bore him he'd have them disposed of, either during one of the various demon feasts the Balance Council holds or…'

'Or…' there were notes of sick fascination in Lus's voice.

'He'd learnt how to use the beast's power and, unlike the beast itself, he found killing to be just as amusing as torture. So I have no doubt he would have disposed of more than a few himself.'

'If any of this is true, why don't the Council just lock him up and throw away the key?'

'Because there's no proof. All his more fortunate victims are dead and those who aren't are condemned men and women who can't be trusted. The only witness who could have brought justice against him refuses to testify.'

'Why?'

'I think there's more than one answer to that. The first is the position Jack has managed to place himself in. He is a prominent member of the Balance, if he's brought down in this way people might start asking questions about others and undermine the current system completely. Alternatively it's possible they just don't know what to think. Sometimes, even when the trust is staring us in the face, it's hard to believe.'

'But if it is true…' Taylor shook his head. 'Someone needs to make them face up to it. To understand the truth. To bring a monster like him down.'

'And risk the Balance in the process.'

'The system needs to change anyway, doesn't it? Isn't that why people are _restless_ or whatever to begin with, because things need to change.'

'Oh come on Tay,' Crovell rolled his eyes, 'that one should be obvious even to you. If you completely wipe out the system that's in place without having anything stable to replace it there will be anarchy. The Balance and its Council may be heavily flawed, but they were set up to protect the Balance between the various Realms. And, most importantly, to protect those who cannot defend themselves. To keep the Disconnected safe until they're able to rejoin the rest of us.'

'The Disconnected…? You mean the Circle of Six?'

'Exactly. Without the Balance around those in the Circle still completely in the dark will be targeted and worse.'

'Worse?'

'The anarchy and confusion would allow hell to rise and everything we've worked so hard to protect will crumble,' Crovell lowered his gaze. 'Yes things need to change, but not like that. It needs to be a controlled process where things get better, not a rebellion which overthrows the system for the sake of overthrowing the system. If the Balance falls there will be anarchy and then… then there will be nothing.'


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

Almost as soon as Jack leapt in to attack her, thick leathery wings had torn out of the Prodigy Child's back, turning into an almost diamond like substance as they formed a protective shield around her. Behind her False couldn't help but feel slightly nauseous on two counts. The first being the way the flesh and clothing hung off of her blood covered back and the second at how quickly both repaired themselves around the transmogrified wings.

'You've been practicing your manifestation techniques I see,' Jack sneered slightly as he bounded back from her. 'Very clever, but fake Parasitics will never compare to the real thing.'

'If you just think this is clever you have no idea just how complicated it is to manifest wings.'

'Oh believe me, I understand exactly how difficult it is; I told you I was impressed. But we both know you only learnt how to do this to keep up with her. She damned herself in order to gain a real pair, but that wasn't an option for you, so you had to learn to fake them. How else were you going to convince everyone you were her?'

'So she really was your only concern, wasn't she? All those times you told us we were keeping up with each other, that we had to learn to imitate each other, what you really meant was we had to learn to be her. Well she broke down because of you and we didn't, doesn't that tell you something?'

'It tells me she reached a Limitless state first and is the closest of all of you to being perfect.'

Almost as soon as he'd finished speaking a growl of anger emanated out of the Prodigy Child. One of her diamond hard wings transformed into a large clawed arm, battering him away. He landed smoothly on the side of one of the pillars, before quickly launching himself off to retry his attack. The effect was the same however; she, for now at least, appeared to have the advantage.

'What's the matter little one,' he taunted, as he regrouped, 'I thought you were just as good as she was, yet you still don't have the power to stop me. Or is it because you still don't know what to think about me? Could it be…?'

'Shut up Jack,' the Prodigy Child cut him off.

'What's the matter, did I hit some kind of nerve?'

'She hates you, you know,' both her wings, now wings again, spread fiercely out to the sides of her, 'and so do I. I hate what you've turned us into, but I've seen what she's doing… the steps she's taken to change herself. She likes what she's turning herself into and I'm trying to keep up with that.'

'Or so you say.'

'Or so I know,' she shook her head. 'We are good people Jack, whatever your intention was with us, I'm not going to let you turn me into a monster.'

'But I don't need to,' he cut her off, laughing almost sickly as he did. 'You think you have any right to call yourself a good person? You've massacred people and that was without my help.'

For a few slow minutes False felt cold terror drip through him. If Jack had turned out to be like this and she was his student… Shaking his head he tried to chase the thoughts away. He couldn't… wouldn't believe she was capable of the same kinds of cruelty he seemed capable of. He wouldn't allow his image of her to become tarnished. Not like this.

'Now who's getting us confused,' the Prodigy Child held firm, 'she was the one who Damned herself not me and even she didn't do as much damage as you would have people believe.'

'Reputation is everything.'

'No, it isn't. Not when it can be gained through such means and not when it can be twisted so totally by a hand like yours.'

'What would you know about my twisted hands?' He smirked.

'I know she's right about you and I will do everything in my power to make sure C…'

'She won't believe you. Why would she when she didn't believe…'

'I will do everything in my power to make her believe. I can't… I won't allow you to hurt her.'

'What makes you think I will?'

'Because I can see it written all over your face now in a way I never could before.'

'So why not go to the Council; bring me down that way?'

'Because I know that's what you want. You want to bring the Balance down.'

'I'm hurt,' Jack faked disappointment, 'why would you believe such a think of me? Or is this coming from her? You know you can't trust everything she tells you, right? She's not exactly thinking clearly right now.'

'Maybe not, but you're proving most of what she's told me to be true, so why shouldn't I believe the rest?'

'And why exactly would I want to bring down the Balance? Even if I do somehow manage to gain power in the anarchy, that same anarchy would allow hell to rise and all we know and love to come to an end.'

'But you're a Master of Masteries and I've no doubt you've learnt how to break from this multiverse,' her voice lowered. 'You plan to survive the end and undermine those destine to start again.'

'Those like you and your sisters you mean?' He smirked.

'That hasn't been decided yet,' she held firm, 'we still don't know for sure whether or not we have what it takes to make the break.'

A strange smirk appeared on Jack's face, but he said nothing. Instead he just stood there and allowed the Prodigy Child to manifest a weapon of her own. For one horrified moment False couldn't help but note the mark of Marnci branded onto the end of the handle. There was something more than ominous about it and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it meant. But a part of him couldn't help but go back over Jack's words about his Symbiotic state; about how his imitation was perfect apart from one flaw.

That flaw had been her, his opponent. She'd managed to deflect the attack without lifting a figure. It didn't matter how powerful she was, she still would have had to do something in order to stop it. And then there was the conversation they'd been having, little hints and clues which left him feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second.

'Its okay False,' the Prodigy Child suddenly turned to him, 'it's okay to doubt me; if I were you I'd be doubting me too. Especially at what you're about to see next,' she took a deep breath, as her whole face began to transform into something monstrous. 'Whatever you do,' a deep, growling voice spilled out of her, 'don't listen to this. Do whatever it takes to protect yourself, but know if you hear this… you're dead.'


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

Drake felt like his back was pressed up against a wall in more than one sense of the word. Before him stood Kasey, still brandishing her now terrifying weapon in his direction. If he'd been able to see beyond his own fear of the situation he might have wondered why she hadn't done anything to him yet. After all she had him cornered and frozen in fear. His sense of rationality, however, was nothing more than a pile of mushed grey matter at the top of his spinal column.

'Who do you wanna become a part of,' she giggled suddenly, 'Talma? She'd be a good choice for you, wouldn't she? Then you could spend everyday reliving the same nightmare. Or maybe, she indicated towards the chained monster to the side of her, 'you'd would like to make their duo, a trio. I'm sure they'd like that.'

'I…' Drake stammered, 'I don't want to become a part of anyone.'

'But you have to.'

'Why?'

'Because it's the only way,' her voice was both stern and serious, 'it's the only way to punish you for what you did. Don't you see that? You need to be punished for letting them die.'

'I didn't let them die,' he protested, 'the Teen became Veronie again and Mum's still alive.'

'DON'T LIE. Lying just makes your punishment worse.'

For a few moments all Drake could do was make uncertain noises of protest. He didn't like what had happened to his baby sister. The way she spoke and acted now was nothing like the sweet innocent little girl he'd known. She'd been abused by two people she trusted with devotion and there was nothing…

'Drake,' Taylor's voice sounded sharply from behind him, crashing into his thoughts.

Turning he spotted Kaiba, Taylor, Lus and Crovell breaking into the lab. Their eyes all instantly turned towards various parts of the hideous room, before finally meeting with Kasey.

'Kasey,' Kaiba was calm, 'you're mother's been worried about you.'

'My mother is dead,' Kasey's voice was sharp, 'and you helped kill her.'

'No,' he shook his head, 'your mother is very much alive and she's as worried as hell about you.'

'More lies, from another liar. Am I really supposed to punish all of you? Do you really think I have the time for that?'

'We're not lying Kasey,' Crovell insisted, 'your parents really are still alive and its killing both of them that they can't find you. Why don't you come back with us so you can see…?'

'I will _not_ be tricked into believing a lie,' she cut him off, 'I won't!'

'But we're not…'

'Liar!'

'Kasey,' now it was Taylor's turn to try, 'we're not lying to you. I mean, why would we?'

'Baraku said…'

'Baraku?' Kaiba sounded more than a little shocked. 'But… didn't your mother ever tell you about him; Baraku can't be trusted.'

'LIAR!'

'I'm not lying,' he gritted his teeth. 'Baraku is a very bad man, he can't be trusted and I doubt he's told you anything about himself which isn't a lie.'

'No, you're wrong, he wouldn't lie to me and he wouldn't keep anything from me.'

'How do you know that?'

'He told me so himself. He told me I was the only one he'd ever be able to trust. That I was the one he could depend on. That I was his.'

At that Drake felt the whole group mutually give up. He didn't blame them. Kasey's resolve was so strong he doubted seeing their mother would change it. And in the state she was in she'd probably just believe it was some kind of trick anyway. It was pretty clear she couldn't see any truth beyond that which had been laid out for her by despicable liars.

'I don't want you to be lost to us,' the words burst out of him, 'you're my baby sister. I don't want to lose my baby sister like this. That's worse than death.'

'You should have thought about that before you let our parents die,' Kasey spat back. 'This is your fault.'

'No,' he shook his head, his voice breaking with tears, 'this is anything but my fault. This is the Teen's and Baraku's doing, not mine. They've turned you into this… this… this monster that wears my sister's face like a skin. And I just want to rip that skin off of you and get my sister back.'

'See,' Kasey sounded half elated by what he said, 'this just proves the kinda person you really are. The violent, underhanded little boy, who stood by and let our parents die. You've just proved to me you're capable of it.'

'Because I care about my sister so much?'

'No, because you'd be willing violent against me. That you'd hurt me just to get what you wanted. That's proof you'd let our parents die.'

'For what? What reason could I possibly want our parents dead?'

'Him,' she jabbed a finger towards Taylor, 'he's the reason. You wanted him more than you wanted them. So you got rid of them.'

'What,' Drake couldn't help but gawk at her, 'you really think I'd kill our parents just to…?'

'Yes,' she cut him off. 'Yes you would. And you've proved that now. How can I believe anything you say when everything you say just proves what Baraku says true?'

'Kasey…'

'No,' she cut him off. 'No. No. No. No. NO!'

'Kay…'

Before he could finish his sentence, the lab around them started exploding like crazy. Huddling together with the others, Drake couldn't help but wonder if this was being caused by Kasey or…

'I'll help you,' Drake faintly heard Kasey calling out above the noise. 'I'm coming Baraku. I'll help you.'

With all the suddenness that it had started, the exploding stopped. Staring around the lab Drake was unsurprised to see Kasey had left. What did surprise him, however, was the fact that a lot of the cages were empty now also. There was something so eerily ominous about it, as if…

'Kaiba,' the Pharaoh's voice sounded, 'it is you, isn't it?'

After exchanging looks with the others, they moved on mass towards the cage the Pharaoh's voice was coming from. What they saw sat uncomfortably with all of them; like seeing something out of a gothic horror film.

'Jack did this to you,' Kaiba's voice was low, 'I can sense his work…'

'Oh my god,' the one attached to the Pharaoh's back was fearfully quiet. 'I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…'

'Who are you,' Kaiba cut him off.

'You don't remember me either,' the youth swallowed. 'Oh god…'

'Who are you,' Kaiba repeated sternly.

'I'm the one who killed you,' he almost choked out the words, 'I'm the reason for your death.'


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

Before they'd even had a chance to find out what they weren't supposed to hear, Kashmana had whipped them both away to a position a few hundred meters away from the building they'd been in. The building itself was still in view, although barely and several shivers were running up and down False's spine, as he could only guess at what was going on inside.

'Don't even ask it,' Kashmana's voice lacked so much emotion False was amazed it had even come from him. 'Don't even think it or ask to think it. Just… don't.'

'Don't what,' Kisara frowned in vague confusion.

There was something about her face which suggested she had very little recollection of anything that had just transpired. Clearly she had been under Jack's spell and everything in False swell with enraged jealousy.

'How did he learn to control what I barely even know I have,' False impulsively outed. 'How did he even learn how to do it?'

'Power Limitless can learn to control any power, even the ones which aren't… well, you know,' Kashmana sighed. 'He learnt his at the feet of your father, although no one would have realised that's what he was doing at the time. It was a long time ago, when he was using a different face…'

'Different face,' Kisara interrupted, clearly becoming more alert by the second, 'you mean he hasn't always looked like this?'

'Of course not,' he shook his head, 'do you really think he'd have gotten away living so long completely unnoticed if he had?'

'I don't…'

'Jack's a lot smarter than most would give him credit for,' Kashmana cut her off. 'Changing his face and name right before anyone could twig something was up. No one knew he existed, so no one was looking for him to exist. And even if you heard rumours relating to someone like that… most didn't take them seriously. Only those who know the truth really see what that… that…'

'Don't,' Kisara cut him off, 'that's my ancestor you're bad mouthing.'

'I'm sorry,' he averted his gaze, 'but I can't lie about this. I won't lie about this. Your ancestor deserves whatever she's about to do to him ten times over.'

'And what is she about to do to him,' False felt compelled to ask.

For a long time Kashmana was silent, then he shrugged strangely and turned his gaze towards the building.

'I thought I told you not to ask.'

'You never said what it was we weren't supposed to be asking,' he pointed out. 'Saying we…'

'Stop it,' Kashmana began rubbing his temples, 'I'm not going to tell you.'

'Then…' False began, before cutting himself off.

Before he said it he had to be absolutely certain he could handle whatever was to come next. After all, what he was about to say was a pretty heavy accusation and the fallout would be devastating for all of them. He didn't know if he could truly put them all through that. He didn't know if it was fair…

'Don't ask,' for a moment it felt as though Kashmana were reading his thoughts. 'Don't do it please. Don't bring that question to the table then expect everything to be fine after. Don't do it. Don't ask.'

'I… can't,' he somehow managed to whine out, 'I can't not ask.'

'You don't need to know…'

'Yes I do,' he was aware of how desperate his voice was sounding now. 'I have to know, don't you understand that. It's the only way forward now.'

'Stop doing this,' lowering his head, Kashmana tensely rubbed his temples. 'I don't want to tell you what you don't need to know.'

'But you will,' in a sudden moment of clarity, False found himself knowing exactly how to control the tones in his voice. 'You will answer my question and tell me what I want to know.'

'False…' Kisara shot him a strange look, 'don't… don't do this to him. Its not… fair.'

'I know, but I have to.'

For a few long moments all three of them were silent. Then False took a strangely deep breath in and focused on the question burning deep within his mind.

'The Prodigy Child,' he began, 'she's the current host to the beast, isn't she?'

'False?' Kisara cried out in a strange mixture of alarm and confusion. 'What on Giya would make you think that?'

'Answer me,' he ignored her, keeping his gaze focused on Kashmana instead.

'False,' she tried again, 'after everything she's done for us, I can't believe that…'

'None of us have been able to defeat her Kisara, what if she's doing that just to…'

'She's not,' Kashmana cut him off, 'she wants to help you that much is genuine. But sometimes the choices she makes aren't the ones she would like to.'

'Like now you mean?'

'It's complicated. Everything to do with her is complicate. But trust me, no one understands the greater good better than she does.'

'So her giving Ni the beast's army was for some greater good,' False didn't know how he felt. 'How can any good come from us facing the rising of hell?'

'Because we have Helen's child because of it,' he flicked his gaze up to meet False's. 'That child may not be destined to be powerful, but it is destined to be an unbelievable force of good. And that force of good is going to be raised right alongside two powerful little beings. She put the Balance into our favour when she made the trade; Helen for the army.'

'So then she is…?'

'Jack did that to her,' Kashmana cut him off again. 'Before her training even started. He wanted to prove her worth to the Council, so moved the beast into her intentionally. It's not something she's always known, it was something she discovered after…' he hesitated.

'Is that what caused her breakdown?' False frowned. 'I mean I know they're just rumours but… I think I could understand her becoming unstable after learning about her mentor's betrayal.'

'It's more complicated than that,' he shook his head, 'she doesn't know how she feels about the information. Or at least she didn't. I think the truth about Jack and his intentions with the beast have become more and more clear to her.'

'He wants to control the beast,' Kisara breathed strangely, as though she couldn't quite believe what was being discussed.

'Only because after everything he'd put previous hosts of the beast through he feared it too much to become it himself.'

'And not even the beast's own power would work against the beast,' False murmured, 'that's why it failed to touch her when he tried.'

'For now she's smart enough to keep the beast happy,' Kashmana averted his gaze again, 'but who knows how long that will last. That creature is not easy to deal with and she's fairly inexperienced in appeasing it.'

'Appeasing it?'

'Keeping it subdued so she can borrow its power. But I don't know if it's possible for her to keep that up forever. How can it be?'

'You think eventually she'll lose control?'

'I don't think,' he shook his head, 'it's inevitable. She can't keep controlling it forever. That's why…' he stopped.

'That's why what?'

'I can't tell you,' he shook his head, 'don't make me tell you.'

'That's why what,' False repeated heedlessly, more than aware of what he was doing to him.

'That's why we were assigned to her,' he lowered his gaze, 'we weren't told everything, at least I don't think the other two were, but between us… between the three of us we've always known the real reason why we were asked to keep an eye on her.'

'Three of you,' False frowned, 'who are the other two?'

'Pitch Black,' he sighed heavily, 'and…'


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

The force whipping round them was immense and created entirely by the ungodly sound that was shrieking out of her mouth. The force shook the foundation of the building to its very core, causing cracks to occur in the pillars, which slowly began to crumble and break apart. It also held him in place, not allowing him even the slightest amount of physical movement, but he still got a message through the void. What she was doing would not destroy him like it was supposed to because he'd learnt how to protect himself from it.

When the little Dorsoma arrived with the army of souls he'd collected he knew she would be safe. After all, thanks to Baraku's guidance, she would already be copying the power that would protect her. She was smart for such a small child and he liked that about her more than anything. The souls she brought with her, however, were not safe. Almost the instant they arrived they began wailing in pain. Their bodies stretching and tearing apart, like sandcastles in a strong gust of wind once the sand had dried. The sand like particles then swirled towards the source of the destructive noise. His former student, the one he had called Left.

Despite his earlier assertions he had no intention of killing her. Leaving her near death would be a definite benefit, but actually killing her would not have been in his favour; not when he still had so many plans for her. No the point of this whole little exercise was to destabiliser her and bring her one step closer to the perfection he had in mind for her and her _sisters_. The physical torture she would suffer from losing Marnci would match the mental torture she would receive from the swarm of soul made particles forcing their way into her body. Almost as soon as she started to absorb them the noise she was making stopped. Instantly her features returned to normal, as she dropped to her knees and pressed her hands desperately against her ears. Still the particles continued to bombard her, her body absorbing every single one like water absorbing salt.

'No,' she wailed in pain. 'No!'

'They put on quite a show, don't they,' Jack chuckled in amusement, more than aware of the fact she probably couldn't hear him. 'All that pain I put them through must be so entertaining to you.'

As he watched her absorb the last of the particles, he adjusted the position of the dagger he was holding and slowly made his way towards her.

'This is it, isn't it,' his new little student beamed, 'you're going to make me more powerful now, like Baraku said. You are his friend, right?'

'That's right,' he smirked, 'and just what are you planning to do with this little gift of mine?'

'I want to be able to pay them back for everything they did.'

'Oh you poor dear, I know how you feel; I'm ever so worried they're going to neglect those precious children they have on the way,' he couldn't help but enjoy just how manipulative he was being.

'Baraku said he wanted to help with that too and that I could be big sister,' she puffed her chest out. 'I could teach them who they can and can't trust.'

'That's right,' he didn't know what he was more please about; the fact the little Dorsoma was on their side without question or the fact Baraku has performed perfectly in his role.

Turning his attention back towards his former student, he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling which came watching her struggle with such intense mental torment. Absorbing so many souls at once was more than painful for the beast's host, filling their heads with more noise and confusion than a rock concert. And more, because every beat of pain those souls had felt for the last few months became hers. A deep rooted smirk pulled across his face as he allowed himself to enjoy one more little piece of information this situation afforded him; an easier to control beast host for another little protégée he'd been remotely working on.

He was just about to plunge the knife down into her, when something caught hold of his hand. In amazement he lifted his gaze up towards the hollow image of the beast that stood above Left. The beast's black gaze met with his, sending chills running up and down his spine. The grip on his arm became almost crushing, as he found himself being forced backwards.

'But I'm planning to give you a better host,' he somehow managed to wince out, 'someone who'll really appreciate your power. Don't you want that?'

Still the beast forced him backwards, not a sound passing from its twisted black lips.

'But my new host will give you all the freedom you desire. You won't ever have to do what anyone asks of you again.'

Slowly the beast shook its head, before shoving him back across the room. For a moment he couldn't help but wonder why it would be so loyal with its host in such a weakened state. After all, this wasn't the first time Jack had done this and he knew full well how much the beast hated weak hosts. Then he sensed it; a niggling little presence somewhere in the room which changed everything. Gritting his teeth and with some resentment, he indicated to the little Dorsoma they should leave. She shot him a disappointed look, as though she'd been readying herself so much for this that not getting it was a crushing blow.

'We'll try again,' he promised her, 'but right now is not a good time and there's something else we need, something which will make all this so much easier.'

'Baraku and I will help you get it,' her disappointment instantly lifted.

Smiling with a kind of joy at her attitude, he turned his gaze for one last time towards his former student… no students… and the beast which stood so protectively above one of them.

'Parting is such sweet sorrow girls,' he couldn't keep the bitter tones out of his voice, 'I just hope my parting gift leaves you with a little bit of hope,' he gave her a mock solute. 'Until we meet again my Prodigy Children. And trust me,' he grimly smiled as his body broke into a thousand black butterflies, 'we will meet again.'

* * *

><p>'She's in trouble,' Kashmana gasped and disappeared, before answering any more of their questions.<p>

Exchanging a look with Kisara, False just sighed and Jumped himself to where he knew the MacTay would now be. The former room of columns was now not much more than a room of crumbling rubble. A shudder ran through False, as though he couldn't quite believe the beast's power could cause so much damage. In the middle of the room, right where they'd left her, was the Prodigy Child. She was knelt heavily on the ground, curled over, with her hands pressed almost desperately against her ears. Even from the distance he was at he could hear her murmuring something over and over again. It was almost too painful to listen to, but something in him felt as though he must.

'What happened?'

'He tricked her,' a voice sounded from what were left of the shadows of the room.

'Who… who's there? Show yourself.'

'No, you don't have to do that,' Kashmana took a step towards a shadowy figure which had started to form, 'I know who you are and they don't need to know your secret. Just… just tell me one thing, are you the one…'

'Yes,' the voice cut him off before he could finish, 'the other wouldn't have come… she wouldn't have believed this was his doing. And even if she did… She's barely Limitless, she wouldn't have been much use here. Now, please you have to get her somewhere before anyone else sees her like this; the others can't know…'

'We know,' Kisara cut her off, surprising False a little as she did. 'Despite what she did, she's still our only hope against the Army of Sen Pay. We need her.'

'Yes,' the voice was mute, 'you do need her, but I fear you may not have her for as long as you need.'

'What's that…?' Before Kisara could finish what she was saying, the shadowy figure dissipated and with it all sense of someone else being there.

'We won't be able to keep this from the others forever, you know,' False shot them both a doubtful look. 'I mean, how long will it take for her to recover from this?'

'There is a method I know of that won't take long.'

'And what method is that?'

'I can't tell you,' he averted his gaze, 'just trust me, alright? Everything will turn out okay.'

'Okay,' False nodded, still feeling more than wary, 'I'll trust you, and her, for now. But if anything… If anything goes wrong because of what she is, then I can't promise I'll still keep her secret.'

'I understand,' he lowered his gaze, 'if I were in your shoes I'm sure I'd feel the same.'

'Good,' he turned his attention towards the Prodigy Child. 'Now lets get her out of here, okay?'


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

For a few long minutes after the unidentified growth attached to the Pharaoh had spoken, there'd been a long, drawn out silence. There was something so strangely shocking about his words that it jarred through every single one of them. Not just because they were so… revealing about their latest addition but because of the implications they had for the story to which they related.

'You couldn't have,' Taylor somehow managed to be the first to speak, 'my father's Khine took his own life.'

'I know that,' the growth's voice had almost desperate tone to it. 'But I was… I was the one who unsettled him. I was… I was the one who… who…'

'Anubis,' Lus interrupted him, his voice sounding so dry it was barely audible.

'Yes,' the growth nodded, 'that's my name, but… how do you know it?'

'You're my husband,' he breathed, before shaking his head in bewildered confusion, 'I mean her husband. My Khindel's husband.'

'Lilly?'

'Yes,' Lus nodded strangely, 'I can remember… how can I remember this?'

'Relapsed memory,' Kaiba gave a nervous cough, 'Khines and Khindels often have some trace memories from their previous lives. Things that were important.'

'So she did love me,' Anubis smiled faintly, 'she wasn't just afraid.'

'Why would she have been afraid,' Drake's forehead burrowed in a deep frown.

'I did some terrible things,' he averted his gaze. 'I wish now I didn't, but at the time I had no choice.'

'I tried to kill you once,' Drake turned his head strangely away from him, his eyes staring searchingly into nothing. 'I mean, Nicolie did. Shortly after you were crowned, he tried to kill you. But… Tracker?'

At the mention of that name Anubis's face lit up strangely.

'He was the first person to truly believe in me.'

'But why,' Taylor made his way towards the bars of the cage. 'Why would he have such faith in you after everything you did? You drove my father mad; you blackmailed me, you…'

At the exact same moment Lus, Taylor and Drake all made a grab for the sides of their heads. It was as if they were suddenly being overloaded with way too much information and didn't know how to handle it. It was at this point Crovell finally felt the need to speak.

'We need to find a way to detach you,' he began calmly, 'I don't think any of us will be able to deal with you in any serious capacity as long as you're attached to the Pharaoh like that.'

'He's right,' Kaiba folded his arm, 'right now this situation is just too…'

'He's not a bad person Kaiba,' the Pharaoh interrupted him. 'At least not anymore. I believe him when he says that.'

'And you should,' Lus sounded almost too eager, 'he did change. He put what he did as a kid behind him. And in the end he…'

'Was loved by all of us,' Taylor lowered his hands, in order to stare back up at the Anubis growth. 'Not in the same way, obviously, but he was family.'

'Yeah,' Drake nodded in agreement, 'family.'

Without saying another word, Drake quickly turned round and went towards a work bench on the far wall. Once there he fearlessly picked up one of the strange looking implements sprawled across it. He then quickly made his way back towards them. There was something about the way his eyes glinted in the light which suggested something wasn't quite right with him. Instantly alert and with split second reactions, Crovell launched himself at Drake, knocking him cleanly off of his feet.

As he did so, the Nicolie-Annu creature spilled out of Drake.

'Spoil sport,' they spat at Crovell, as his heart pounded with realisation and his eyes glanced towards Lus and Taylor.

'I won't let you hurt them,' he flicked his gaze back towards the hybrid. 'I won't let you hurt any of them, do you hear me?'

'What exactly do you plan to do about it,' the hybrid laughed. 'We're already dead, so it's not like you can kill us.'

'Maybe not,' he agreed, 'but I sure as hell can help you ascend.'

Getting to his feet he flicked a blue-black energy ball into his hand and aimed it towards the hybrid. The hybrid simply laughed, before grinning inanely at him and finally disappearing. In disappointment Crovell let the energy ball he was holding dissipate. Sighing in frustration, he then turned his attention towards the others.

'How did you know it wasn't me,' Drake's voice was quiet as he pulled himself back to his feet.

'I didn't know it wasn't you,' he admitted. 'I just knew that look in your eyes was… wrong.'

'Wrong how?'

'Wrong as in not the kind of look you would give if you truly wanted to help someone.'

'I can't believe Nicolie and Annu have become so twisted,' Taylor shook his head slowly. 'Why would anyone make them like that?'

'For the same reason anyone would do that,' Kaiba pointed towards the Pharaoh-Anubis creation. 'Because they get some kind of sick pleasure from it.'

'I'm more worried about what will happen next,' Crovell turned away from them all, hoping they wouldn't be able to see the panic beginning to creep through him. 'I mean where will that… monster go next?'

'You're worried it'll go for Ara, aren't you,' Drake began chewing his lower lip.

'Well that makes sense, doesn't it? Where else would that thing go next?'

'I'm sure your Ara will be able to handle it just fine,' Anubis told him. 'Either that or we'll be seeing… him here soon.'

'I hope not,' Crovell turned towards him, 'I don't want my brother or his baby coming here under any circumstance.'

'You're his brother?'

'Half brother,' he nodded.

'You're a Lutoni?'

In response Crovell simply nodded childishly.

'You're sure about that?'

'Why wouldn't I be?'

'I wanted to see how much of history has repeated itself.'

'Less than you think,' Lus spoke up again, 'I'm my father's only child and Crovell is the eldest of three blood related Lutoni.'

'And I have two half sisters on my mother side too,' Crovell added.

'I see,' Anubis mulled this over for a few moments, 'then I guess my mother was never born.'

'Your existence is impossible this time,' Lus lowered his gaze, 'things are nothing like they were.'

'Although…' Taylor hesitated.

'What is it?' Crovell frowned at him.

'His mother was…'

'Tao's cousin,' Anubis finished for him.

'And we have SK.'

'But SK's nothing like Meritamon,' Lus shook his head, 'so don't even try to think like that.'


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59**

Almost before she'd had a chance to impart all the words of wisdom CiCi was sure she was going to say, Pitch's face had crossed with a look of immense concern and panic. Then, without a single word of explanation, she disappeared. As soon as she'd left Hickarama had made a strange sigh of disappointment and turned her gaze towards CiCi.

'Well that was enlightening,' she was clearly trying to bring sarcasm into her tone, but was failing miserably, 'she could have at least finished before shooting off like that.'

'I don't think she had a choice,' CiCi tried to sound wiser than she felt. 'I think she was called away by something important.'

'What could be more important than us?'

'Oh now you really are thinking too much of yourself,' CiCi rolled her eyes, feeling a bit like her uncle as she did. 'In the grand scheme of things neither of us would rank particularly high.'

'And how would you know that?'

'We're insignificant.'

'Because we're demons,' Hickarama shot her a strange look. 'Because if that's what you're thinking then I can tell you now you're way off the mark.'

'Oh?'

'You're the child of a Win part for a start,' she folded her arms, 'and I'm the daughter of Ni.'

'But you're one of many daughters of Ni and there are much more powerful children of Win parts than me.'

'Is that what you think?'

'That's what I know,' CiCi could almost feel her face becoming tense with conviction. 'I mean, look at the others…'

'Just because their powers are easy to release doesn't mean they're more powerful. And right now I'm one of very few children of Ni to not be…' she cut herself off strangely.

'To not be what,' CiCi frowned at her.

'Nothing,' she shook her head. 'Forget I was saying anything. You're right, I am insignificant. But you… you're not.'

'You're just trying to make me feel better.'

'Of course I am,' she shrugged, 'that's part of what I've been asked to do here.'

'Part of what you've been asked to do…'

'Look,' she shrugged again, 'don't read too much into it, there's no point. You're never going to like everything you see, so why try to see everything?'

'Because everything is what makes up the world around us. How can I be expected to reach whatever potential it is you think I have if you keep sheltering me?'

'You're just a kid CiCi; you need some of your innocence still intact.'

'I may be just a kid, but I'm also a demon, you can't tell me that requires me to keep any kind of innocence.'

'I can for as long as it keeps me in good steed.'

'You mean as long as it doesn't upset those who are making you do this?'

'Exactly.'

'And they're really that scary?'

'Ask any of my siblings about it if you don't believe me,' she shrugged. 'This isn't the kind of fate you want to tempt.'

'Why not?'

'Because it's… it's a fate worse than death,' her voice suddenly became very dry. 'It's a hell unlike any a demon could truly handle. It's a punishment beyond punishment.'

'A punishment beyond punishment,' CiCi echoed, knowing she'd heard a similar phrasing somewhere before. 'It's the beast, isn't it? The beast is the one you're afraid of. The one who wants you to help me like this.'

'Why would the beast have any kind of interest in a kid demon like you,' Hickarama laughed nervously.

'Because I'm no ordinary kid demon.'

'Then why would the beast have any interest in keeping you good?'

'Because…' she hesitated. 'Okay so maybe it's not the beast. Maybe it's the host.'

'Again, I ask you why?'

'Because of the way you're acting now,' CiCi kept her cool. 'You're acting as though I'd just hit several nails on the head all at the same time.'

'Don't be ridicules,' she gave another nervous laugh. 'Now you really are trying to think way too much of yourself.'

'Wasn't that what you wanted me to do,' she folded her arms, 'or does thinking too much of myself only apply when I try to do the opposite?'

'You're just trying to confuse the issue.'

'Then maybe the issue needs to be confuse,' she shrugged. 'Either way you've still failed to answer my question.'

For a long few minutes Hickarama was silent. Deep down inside of her CiCi could almost sense the patterning of thoughts dancing around the older demon's head. She was clearly struggling to come up with some kind of logical explanation. Anything that would make the thought of the beast disappear. But there was no alternative explanation, because they both knew the beast or the host had something to do with it.

'Okay,' Hickarama turned her head away, 'you're right, the host is behind this.'

'Really,' CiCi breathed in wonder. 'Why? What's so interesting about me?'

'I think you already know the answer to that.'

'But I want to hear it from you.'

'You're powerful CiCi,' she sighed heavily. 'You have the potential of being great and the Symbiotic thought…'

'The Symbiotic?'

'That's what a combination of the beast and the host is called,' Hickarama sighed again. 'It's where the host has control over the beast's powers.'

'And that would be why you were scared of the host,' CiCi nodded slowly, 'because she could do the same to you as the beast.'

'Yes,' she pulled her arms around herself protectively, 'or at least that's close enough.'

'Who is the host?'

'What,' Hickarama blinked at her, clearly as surprised be the sudden question as CiCi felt.

'Who is the host?'

'Why do you need to know that,' she stammered.

'I want to know who it is that thinks I have such a great amount of potential she needs to threaten others into helping me unleash it.'

'But its… that's not… I mean I can't tell you.'

'Why not?'

'I've been told not to.'

'So?'

'So need I remind you I'm dealing with a force that would give my father chills?'

'No you don't,' CiCi shook her head. 'The beast is the reason Ni will attack in a few months, but that doesn't mean I don't have a right to know who my patron is.'

'Well I can't tell you,' Hickarama remained firm, 'and that's just the way it is.'


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60**

For a few minutes they'd all been silent, then Kaiba had flick summoned a ball of energy into his hand and used it to break open the cage that held the Pharaoh-Anubis hybrid. The noise of it was enough to shake the others out of their temporary stupor and even he felt more than relieved to hear something other then the silence echoing around them. He couldn't say he'd been getting the same flashes of memory the others seemed to be having, so to him Anubis was still nothing more than an attachment to the back of the Pharaoh. An attachment he could sense had shared the same space and time as his Khine once upon a time, but an attachment none the less.

He wasn't going to concern himself with the hows and whys of who Anubis really was, just with the idea of detaching him from the Pharaoh. And that detachment started with freeing them from the cage they were in. Closing his eyes Kaiba allowed himself to sense everything in the room around them. Over the last few years he'd been honing in on his sensory abilities to replace his eyesight in situations like this, where the smaller details mattered more than the blurry whole. Somewhere in this room was the implement they needed to separate them, if only…

'Sometimes I have to wonder about you,' Crovell broke his concentration, 'just as soon as it seems like you've taken a completely different turn in life you go and do something like this.'

'What's that supposed to mean,' he couldn't help but frown and he tried to regain his focus whilst maintaining the conversation.

'The unnecessary violence Kaiba; you never seem to be able to get away from it.'

'When was the last time I was unnecessarily violent,' he gritted his teeth with a slight amount of annoyance, 'and it's not like any of you'd bothered coming up with a better solution to get them out.'

'Well Drake and I hardly have an excuse for that, I know. But I'm pretty sure your son and Lus are trying to adapt to having a second soul suddenly sharing their bodies.'

'What,' his eyes shot open.

He could sense they were both mostly still within their stupor, but without being able to see their expressions all he could do was sense what was going on with them. And all he managed to get for his efforts was an overwhelming sense of self from both.

'Didn't you realise that's where the memories were coming from?' Crovell again broke into his train of thoughts. 'I mean, I think they were able to adapt to it at first, but now they're kind of struggling to work out who's who.'

'Are you saying Taylor's possessed?'

'Yeah, I think he is,' Drake's voice was a little edgy, 'just like I was. Only he has Talma and Lus has Lilly and I don't think either of them wants to hurt anyone; not like that hybrid that possessed me.'

'It must have been the only thing they could do to stop themselves being pulled along with that force,' Anubis sounded strangely wistful, 'we were deliberately left immune to it, but I don't think they were.'

'So instead they possessed their Khindels?' Kaiba pressed his lips together in thought.

'It would have been the only way for them to protect themselves from it,' the Pharaoh agreed.

'But they weren't aware of what was going on around them,' Drake sounded strained, 'this possession has to have been what my sister or Jack wanted.'

'I don't think so,' the Pharaoh remained calm.

'He's right,' Kaiba nodded slowly, 'the pull between a Khine parent and child is strong. They wouldn't even need to be aware of the fact they even existed again for this to be possible.'

'So you're saying that the hybrid didn't mean to possess me, it was just drawn into me because of the Nicolie part.'

'Oh no,' Crovell snorted arrogantly, 'that one was definitely deliberate.'

'How can you tell?'

'Because I don't think this Jack person is the type to give up anything as twisted as he is so easily.'

'But isn't that the argument for them not possessing me,' he frowned. 'I mean, if he's so reluctant to give them up, then why didn't he take them with him.'

'Because it would have destroyed them,' Kaiba gritted his teeth again, not completely willing to admit he'd been aware of why Drake's sister had been called away in the manner she had been. 'Whatever that force was,' he averted his gaze, 'that was what your sister was taking them into.'

'What,' Drake's voice filled with concern. 'You mean… you mean she's… you mean…'

'Look, if we're working with the principle he'd protect anything that was as twisted as… I mean, valuable to him, then we have to assume he had made plans to protect your sister before taking her into that… force.'

'But what if he hasn't,' he was clearly starting to panic now. 'What if he wanted to kill her… to sacrifice her… and she… she willingly allowed herself to be?'

'I somehow doubt he would spend so much time and effort training her, just to use her as the proverbial sacrificial goat,' Crovell rolled his eyes. 'I think Kaiba's right, she's been protected somehow.'

'For what its worth I agree,' Anubis gave a nervous laugh. 'Although I do think someone aught to check on your… Ara was it?'

'Why?'

'Well I'd hate to seem so preoccupied with protecting my own skin, but last I checked that hybrid wanted to kill me. And as your Ara is the other half of the equation…'

'Right,' Crovell disappeared as soon as the word was out.

'Wow,' Anubis made a strange whistling noise, 'I'm never going to get used to this magic stuff. I mean I know I was technically created by it, but… It wasn't really that present during my lifetime. Certainly not used by the end of it.'

'What do you mean you were created by magic,' Kaiba did his best to study him.

'Didn't… didn't I mention it before,' he stammered nervously, 'm-my father was a… a Vii Sen. I… I was a…'

'First generation Sudosen,' the Pharaoh finished for him, clearly taking pity on him for being so nervous.

'Uh… yeah,' Anubis agreed, 'one of those. And… apparently… one of the first, if not _the_ first, depending on who you talk to.'

'But magic wasn't really used in your lifetime,' Kaiba folded his arms curiously.

'Not really, no,' he shook his head, 'or at least not to the extent you guys seem to use it now.'

'Is that why you're so concerned with saving your own skin?'

'No, that has more to do with currently being attached to… I mean, I don't care what happens to me so long as Lilly's safe, but I don't want to be responsible for the same person dying twice. I don't like the taste blood on my hands.'

'And neither do I,' Taylor spoke up for the first time since the cage had been broken open, 'but you were dangerously good at it.'

'I was no better than you were.'

'I had no choice.'

'And I did?'

'No,' Taylor lowered his head, 'well no more than I did, I guess.'

'We were too much alike you and I. That's why we could never truly see eye to eye with each other.'

'But you were family and family helps each other, no matter what the consequences.'

'That's why we won't return to the light until you, Annu and Nicolie can join us,' now it was Lus's turn to speak. 'They're our family too and they need our help just as much as you do.'

'Yes,' Anubis sounded more than happy, 'I understand.'

'So where do we start?'

'Isn't that obvious,' Kaiba sighed heavily. 'We start by getting out of here. After that we'll work out what to do about separating them.'

'Anubis and my father, or…'

'Both,' he interrupted Lus, 'we'll work out how to separate both.'


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

'You really had me going this time, you know that,' his voice sounded from just behind her, as she sat at the edge of the cliff staring out to an almost invisible point in the distance. 'You're tempting fate, you really are and… and I'm scared about the consequences of this. I…'

'You need to thank Right for me,' she cut him off, 'I know it was her who saved me today. I could sense her there but I was too out of it to really say anything to her and… and I don't know where it is she's hiding these days, but you do. So you need to go to her and tell her…' her voice broke slightly, cutting off her own statement.

After a few minutes of silence, she heard him give a heavy sigh, before sitting down next to her.

'For what it's worth Kashmana defended why you did it,' his voice was strangely level, 'sometimes I think he's your biggest fan.'

'That must disappoint you, since you're so determined that spot should belong to you.'

'This plan was Jack's to begin with and we both know it. He had you messing with things you shouldn't have been messing with.'

'So you're blaming him for this?' She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

'No, I'm blaming myself. When you're being manipulated like that it should be my job to guard you and stop you from doing anything stupid. It's my role and one I take very seriously. That's why officially I'm the only one other than Dee and Jack who know your secret. I should have been the one to take care of you here; to make sure you didn't get too far in over your head, not those two. This isn't what they were chosen for.'

'Because you're the one, who holds the key to my moral compass, right,' she gave a strange laugh. 'Because they're definitions of right and wrong are skewed compared to yours.'

'I was chosen to be your Daiosen for a reason,' he place an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in against him. 'And for what it's worth I do know mortality, which is more than I can say for either of them.'

'What does mortality have to do with morality?'

'You know what,' he kept his voice level, 'you know what mortality has to do with everything.'

'Because I am mortal?'

'All three of you are, even if you are on the cusp of something else. But it's so easily forgotten with everything else that's happened to you.'

'I don't forget.'

'But you do need me.'

For a few moments she was thoughtfully silent. She knew he was right and she knew he knew she thought that, but she couldn't quite bring herself to say so.

'You said you wouldn't help me because you don't want those of this Realm to see you, do you still feel that way?'

'I do, but I'm starting to think maybe I can help you without being seen. Pitch seems to be doing a good job of that so far.'

'I know,' she lowered her head strangely, 'just like I know right now I don't want you to go. I can sense something's about to happen and… I'm scared.'

* * *

><p>'Where have you…' Tristan started, as Kaiba and the other remerged from the mirror world. 'What the…'<p>

'It's a long story,' Kaiba cut him off.

'I have time.'

'Well right now we don't,' he shook his head. 'We…'

'Who are you,' Anubis suddenly interrupted him, his eyes clearly as focused as they could be on Tristan.

'That's Kaiba's husband,' Drake answered before anyone else could.

'What,' the attachment sounded shocked, 'but I would have thought… I mean… I was expecting someone a little different. But I guess this shouldn't surprise me…'

'Are you saying my father's obviously…' Taylor began.

'Oh no,' Anubis cut him off, 'that's not what I meant at all. I mean, after how my sister was…'

'You had a sister,' Drake frowned, 'was she a…'

'No,' he shook his head, 'and she was quite a bit younger than me. A late life child on my mother's part, but not on her partners.'

'She had a toy boy after your father?'

'I said nothing about them being male.'

'What?'

'Let's just say I wasn't the only one to be conceived by magic.'

'But you said your sister wasn't…'

'And she wasn't.'

'Then how…'

'Look, we don't have the time for this right now,' Kaiba cut him off sharply. 'We have to find a way of separating them, you can have your little quiz time afterwards.'

'Okay,' Tristan sighed, 'let's do it.'

* * *

><p>Carefully Jack's eyes surveyed the hybrid. Somehow he'd been expecting less from it, not truly believing something he'd tortured so much could be anywhere near as loyal as this creature was. But the fact they were filled him with an immense sense of pleasure.<p>

'So the others from your time are with them,' he tilted his head curiously.

'Yes,' it agreed, 'and I want to know what you want me to do with them.'

'What makes you think I want you to do anything with them? Maybe this is a job for little Kasey.'

'Kasey doesn't know them like we do.'

'That is true,' he agreed, 'but not necessarily an advantage.'

'We want to do something for you,' the hybrid protested. 'We have to do something for you.'

'Then I want you to work with Kasey.'

'Why,' they protested, almost sounding slightly hurt, 'don't you trust us?'

'It's not that.'

'Don't you trust _him?_'

'That's not it either.'

'Then what is it?'

'You can't deny Kasey is a lot more powerful than you.'

'Yes but…'

'Nor can you deny you have the knowledge Kasey does not possess.'

'Yes but…'

'On your own neither of you stands a chance, but together…'

For a moment the hybrid could do nothing but gasp in realisation. The creature was much smarter than he'd expected it to be too. But then, his expectations had been set way to low to begin with.

'So it will work with me,' Kasey suddenly immerged from the shadows, making Jack grin as he watched the hybrid start, 'and we will make each and every single one of them pay for what they did.'

'Yes,' Jack chuckled, 'that's exactly what you will do.'

'And I will have my revenge.'

'Of course,' now it was Baraku's turn to immerge from the shadows, 'didn't I tell you my friend was someone you could trust?'

'This is going to be so much fun,' her expression darkened. 'I can't wait.'

End.


End file.
